Embiid needs emergency appendicitis surgery in Houston.

Joel Embiid's brutal 2025-26 season just got worse. The 76ers center was diagnosed with appendicitis while the team was in Houston and underwent emergency surgery on Wednesday. His regular season is officially over, and given the recovery timeline, he's expected to miss the play-in tournament and likely the first round of the playoffs as well.

This is the latest in what feels like an endless string of bad luck for Embiid. He's dealt with knee issues, a meniscus tear, plantar fasciitis, and orbital fractures over his career — and now appendicitis. The man simply cannot stay healthy when it matters most. As ESPN's Tim MacMahon put it: "Joel Embiid is the unluckiest superstar of this generation."

For Philadelphia, the timing is catastrophic. The 76ers are fighting for a play-in spot, currently sitting 8th in the East, and now they'll have to do it without their franchise player. Philly hosts the Rockets tonight in what was supposed to be a statement game. Instead, it's another chapter in the saddest superstar story in the NBA.