Joel Embiid Biography: Net Worth, Salary, Family and Career Stats

The center, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, is a loved entity in the NBA due to his commitment toward the franchise and his dedication to performing his best. That's why he has made it to the All-Star games multiple times with his 21 jersey number. However, things never came easy to him since he struggled to fit in after moving to the US. Then, his brother passed away when he was about to make his debut in the NBA. When there was no hope, his child gave him hope to play basketball and set an example. This inspiring narrative shaped Joel Embiid and we will explore it thoroughly in the following piece.

Joel Embiid Early Life

Joel Hans Embiid was born on March 16, 1994, in Yaoundé, Cameroon, to parents Thomas and Christine Embiid. His father, Thomas, was a military officer who even rose to the rank of Colonel. In the early part of his life, Thomas was a former professional handball player. Embiid's mother, Christine, was a household lady who used to look after Embiid and his two younger siblings. Unfortunately, Joel's brother Arthur passed away in a car accident in 2014. ​

Volleyball and soccer were more dear to Joel Embiid at the time. But at the age of 15, he found basketball and started building his reputation with the ball. He was so natural and good with the ball that Cameroonian NBA player Luc Mbah a Moute became a mentor to him. He was the torchbearer who guided Joel to the United States for success.

Joel Embiid Biography

Joel Embiid Career

Joel Embiid's journey started as someone who played basketball late in his life in Cameroon. But when he did, he started copying the play of legend Hakeem Olajuwon, and this was spotted by Luc Mbah a Moute. Luc then moved Embiid to the United States to follow his destiny and made arrangements for his high school and college education. Embiid kept on proving himself and became the NBA star that he was always destined to be.​

Joel Embiid High School Career

Embiid attended The Rock School in Gainesville, Florida. Actually, he was first recruited into the Monteverde Academy but he did not get apt playing time there. That's why he made a switch and led his high school team to a 33–4 record and the state championship. During his senior year, he averaged 13.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game.​

Joel Embiid College Career

Embiid committed to the University of Kansas for college basketball and played for the Jayhawks during the 2013-2014 season. He was quick to learn since he tallied 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. That's why he received the honor of being the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors and was named second-team All-Big 12​. However, he suffered a stress fracture in his back in March 2014 and missed the NCAA tournament.

Joel Embiid Professional Career

Embiid was selected as the third overall by the Philadelphia 76ers from the 2014 NBA Draft class. However, due to foot injury surgeries and recovery series, he missed the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. Later, in 2016-17, he debuted but could only play 31 minutes since injuries did not let him play the whole season unharmed. Yet in that short number of games, he was able to earn All-Star and All-NBA First Team selection in his second year in the league.

After the second-round exit from the 2020-21 playoffs, Joel Embiid took the Sixers to the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Miami Heat in the 2021-22 season. But he missed the first two games due to injury, and the Sixers lost that series. In the 2022-23 season, the Process became the fifth 76er to receive the NBA MVP award. This year, again, they reached the Eastern Conf. Semifinals, but the Boston Celtics defeated them in the seven-round series. Last year, his playing time succumbed to injuries, and he could only play 39 games. Eventually, they got eliminated in the first round of playoffs against the New York Knicks. He put up the following stats while playing in the league, according to ESPN data:

Joel Embiid Awards and Achievements

Joel Embiid can be sluggish on the court, but he is loved by the fans. That's why he has accumulated All-Star selection seven times in his life in nine years of playing pro basketball in the NBA. For his performances, the All-Rookie First Team and later All-NBA First Team selection came naturally to him. However, he delivered the second-best performance of his career in 2022-23, best at that time. He dished out 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists during that season and gained the NBA MVP award for the improvement that he showed.

He holds the highest scoring average on a franchise level and averaged the best 34.7 points, 11 rebounds, and 5.6 assists during the 2023-24 season. Embiid was also part of the gold medal-winning roster of the 2025 Paris Olympics USMNB team.

Joel Embiid Record

One of the historical records in Embiid's book is that he was the scoring leader during the 2022-23 season, with an average of 33.1 points per game. He was the first center to achieve this feat after Shaquille O'Neal in 2000. In the 2018 NBA All-Star Game, he played as a starter, making him the first Philadelphian player chosen as a starter since Allen Iverson. Moreover, The Process is the first Sixers player since Wilt Chamberlain in 1968 to record a 40-point, triple-double.
He became the seventh player in NBA history to record 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 200 blocks in his first 100 games. Another interesting trivia about Joel Embiid is that he is the only player in NBA history to have 50 points, 10 boards, five assists, and five blocks in a single game. He surpassed Allen Iverson's fastest career 10,000-point total to hold the new crown as the Sixers player in just 373 games.
Embiid is the third center to score 70 points in NBA history (After Wilt Chamberlain and David Robinson). Moreover, he is the only player in NBA history to average 40 or more points in a month on 60% field goal shooting.

Joel Embiid Net Worth and Salary

Joel Embiid's net worth in 2025 is about $85 million, according to the Celebrity Net Worth data. A big chunk of his net worth comes from the endorsement that he has got so far in the NBA due to his exceptional performance. In addition to the Skechers, he has a deal with brands like Amazon, Mountain Dew, Crypto.com, Sketchers, and Electronic Arts (EA). Overall, he is expected to earn $11 million per year from his endorsement deals.

Apart from deals, the salaries make up a larger part of an NBA athlete, including Joel Embiid. His current salary is coming from the contract that he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on August 17, 2021. It was a 4 year $213.28 million maximum contract extension with the Philadelphia front office. Last year, on September 20, he inked another deal with the Sixers worth $192.9 million, with a maximum contract extension for a period of three years. It also includes a player option for Embiid in the 2028-29 season.

Joel Embiid Wife

Joel Embiid is married to Anne de Paula who is a Brazilian model. De Paula rose to the limelight with her edition shoot with the Sports Illustrated. Both of them first met through a mutual friend at a dinner in New York City in 2018. They welcomed a son in 2020 with whom Joel shared a special bond. Even De Paula confessed it in an interview with ESPN, “They are like best friends. When Arthur sees him, there is no one else in the room. It is the most beautiful thing ever. It almost felt like, with their connection, Arthur sensed something was going on.”

The couple tied the knot in a beachside ceremony in Southampton, New York, on July 22, 2023. There was a reception party after the exchange of vows at the church, where stars like Meek Mill and Brian McKnight performed. Both of them are multilingual, with Anne knowing Portuguese, English, and French language.

Joel Embiid Parents

Joel Embiid was born to parents Thomas and Christine Embiid in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Thomas was a military officer during his early days and used to play professional handball players. On the other hand, his mother, Christine, runs the Arthur Ambiid and Angels Foundation, which was established in memory of Joel Embiid's late brother.

Initially, Embiid used to play volleyball and soccer. Even his father wanted him to play volleyball since it would not block his decision however, his mother wanted to be a doctor. When Jol won the 2023 NBA MVP, he said, “My parents, they've been here from the beginning. I'm still kind of pissed at my dad because he didn’t let me start playing basketball until 15. Who knows what I could've been if I had started earlier. But he made the right decision. Everything happens for a reason..”

Joel Embiid Kids

Joel Embiid and Anne de Paula welcomed a son named Arthur on September 17, 2020. Notably, Joel named his son after his late brother, Arthur, who died in a tragic car accident in 2014. On the second birthday of Arthur, his mother, De Paula, shared a few pictures with a colorful arrangement of balloons. The photos also had a signboard with a depiction of a helicopter flying through the clouds and the message, "Fly on over to Arthur Elijah's 2nd birthday."

Joel Embiid keeps his son away from excessive limelight or camera. However, he loves to share pictures with his son on his Instagram profile. One of the rare times when Arthur appeared in public during the Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets showdown. Embiid knocked down 53 points during that game. Joel is a Cameroonian, American, and a French citizen. However, he decided to play for Team USA due to his kid as he said in an interview, “It was tough. Obviously, I loved all three options, with my home country [Cameroon], which I love a lot. But I really want to participate in the Olympics, that's been my goal and my dream. You add that with the fact that my son is American, and I've been here for such a long time.”

Joel Embiid Shoes

Joel Embiid had signed a shoe deal with Under Armour that seemed to be promising at the time of the signing. However, the deal could only produce one signature shoe named Under Armour Embiid One, which was released in January 2020. It was designed by Reggie Wilson at that time and hit the market in September with $120 price. But it could not perform well and the deal eventually ended in October 2023.

Thereafter, Embiid wore the Skechers SKX Float model, on April 2 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia when the 76ers faced the Oklahoma City Thunder for the first time. On that night, Embiid scored 24 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and three steals. Since he was the highlight of the moment, Embiid announced his new sneaker deal with Skechers. The brand already has the signing of New York Knicks star Julius Randle. However, Embiid's addition as a multi-year All-Star player has come as a wave of bonus.

Joel Embiid Jersey

Joel Embiid currently wears the #21 jersey for the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA. But there is not some fancy story behind the number. Joel Embiid was given this number, and he has been consistently wearing it without any change for the last 8 seasons.

His Philadelphia 76ers' blue, white, and red-themed jerseys are one of the best sellers in the nation for his fame among the fans. Considering the numbers that he has put up for the franchise, there are expectations that the team might put up his jersey for retirement after Joel Embiid stops playing.