Joel Embiid went through a powerful transformative experience following the death of his brother Arthur. As many NBA fans must be aware, Embiid is coming off an incredibly dominant year with the Philadelphia 76ers. As a result of his elite play, he finally managed to win the 2022-2023 NBA MVP award.
Considering the challenges and difficulties that Embiid faced while entering and during his early years in the league, fans certainly didn’t expect him to be capable of being one of the best players in the league. Especially after the loss of his sibling. Let us hear what Joel had to say about this tragedy and how it forced him to reassess his life.
How did Joel Embid’s brother Arthur die?
Not many fans will have heard of Arthur Embiid. He was the younger brother of Joel and was regarded as his closest friend during their childhood in Cameroon. Both siblings were inseparable and had a close bond. However, this ended up breaking when Arthur was killed in an accident.
Although the exact details weren’t made clear to the public, Embiid revealed that his brother was hit by a truck driver when merely walking back from school one day. This unexpected tragedy sent the family into a state of shock and even forced Embiid back home in order to attend the funeral. Joel shared that losing his younger brother sent him into a bad place, causing him to feel a loss of purpose in life.
“I was only able to go back home for a few weeks for his funeral. When I came to Philly, I kept rehabbing, trying to get better…But I was in a really bad place. With Arthur gone, I felt like I had lost my purpose in life. I really just wanted to quit the game and go back home to Cameroon to be with my family. And, you know, its not like a movie where someone sat me down and had some conversation with me, or I picked up a basketball and all of a sudden everything was ok.”
Upon hearing what Joel Embiid went through, we can’t help but feel bad for him and commend his accomplishments in the face of this tragic loss. Losing his brother would have undoubtedly stolen some of his own wills to live. Nonetheless, Joel eventually managed to accept the facts of life and move on. We are glad to see how far he has come in terms of growth. Especially since he was almost ready to quit.