Shaquille O’Neal rarely holds back his opinions about the NBA’s best centers. Late last month, the Hall of Famer turned his attention to Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid. Speaking on The Stephen A. Smith Show, O’Neal guaranteed that Embiid will stay healthy this season.
He went even further by predicting Embiid would surpass Denver’s Nikola Jokić as the top big man in basketball. The bold claim comes as the 76ers enter the new season with a revamped roster, having recently added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, raising expectations for the entire team.
Shaq delivers his guarantee on air
Shaquille O’Neal appeared on The Stephen A. Smith Show and predicted that Joel Embiid would remain healthy during the 2026-27 season, addressing the Philadelphia 76ers and their veteran center directly.
The four-time NBA champion also said Embiid would dominate and become the league’s best big man, presenting the remarks as an early prediction before the season began.
O’Neal added that Embiid would move ahead of Nikola Jokić in the NBA’s center hierarchy. However, Embiid’s availability remains uncertain after he appeared in only 38 regular-season games in 2025-26, and the comment set off immediate discussion among fans and analysts alike.
A roster shakeup raises the stakes
The 76ers reshaped their roster by acquiring Jaylen Brown from Boston and signing LeBron James. The 2 stars join Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe in a high-profile Philadelphia lineup. James has won 4 NBA championships, while Brown won the 2024 championship and the NBA Finals MVP award with Boston.
Their arrival has increased Philadelphia’s title expectations while placing additional attention on Embiid’s availability. O’Neal said Embiid must step up following the offseason changes, since the Sixers’ ceiling will depend in part on whether their veteran center remains available throughout the season and postseason.
Embiid’s lengthy injury history looms large
Embiid played 96 of a possible 246 regular-season games over the past 3 seasons, meaning he missed 150. He appeared in 38 games in 2025-26 and has never reached 70 games in a single season. Knee, oblique and other injuries have repeatedly limited his availability, and he has now missed more regular-season games than he has played during his NBA career.
Critics argue that betting on his availability remains a genuine gamble. O’Neal nevertheless predicted that the coming season would be different and challenged Embiid to respond, a remark that reflected O’Neal’s belief that mindset matters as much as physical health.
Encouraging signs from last season’s playoffs
Embiid underwent an emergency appendectomy in April and missed the first 3 games of Philadelphia’s opening-round series against Boston. He returned in Game 4 and played the final 4 games as the 76ers recovered from a 3-1 deficit to win the series in 7 games. In the second round against New York, he played Games 1, 3, and 4 but missed Game 2 with a sprained right ankle and sore right hip, and the Knicks swept Philadelphia in 4 games.
That level of availability, despite the sweep, offered a hopeful sign for the upcoming season. Rich Paul later said Embiid entered the offseason healthy and without further surgery, an encouraging update, even though his availability for the 2026-27 season cannot be established in advance.
Fun fact: Embiid has said he began playing basketball at 16 after growing up playing soccer and volleyball.
LeBron’s decision hinged on Embiid’s health
Rich Paul discussed Embiid’s health while evaluating Philadelphia as a destination for LeBron James, and Embiid personally reassured James during the recruiting process that he could stay on the court. Embiid’s availability was one consideration, but public accounts also emphasized Philadelphia’s acquisition of Jaylen Brown, the strength of its roster and James’s desire to compete for another championship.
James officially joined the 76ers on July 27. His arrival raises expectations for Embiid, although it does not guarantee the center will remain healthy during the 2026-27 season, and both stars now share responsibility for proving the gamble was worth taking.
Jokic remains the standard to beat
Nikola Jokić averaged a triple-double in each of the past 2 seasons. He recorded 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game in 2024-25, followed by 27.7 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists in 2025-26, finishing second in MVP voting behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in both seasons.
His historic production and playmaking make O’Neal’s prediction a demanding benchmark for Embiid, and overtaking him would require an exceptional season from any challenger. O’Neal believes Embiid has the talent to close the gap, but surpassing Jokić would require sustained availability and elite production throughout the regular season and playoffs.
How Embiid could prove Shaq right
Embiid has played fewer than 40 regular-season games in each of the past 3 seasons, so reaching 50 games would represent a notable improvement. He averaged 26.9 points in 38 appearances during the 2025-26 season.
A strong regular season and deep playoff run alongside James, Brown, Maxey, and Edgecombe would strengthen O’Neal’s argument. Philadelphia’s revamped roster may also allow the team to reduce Embiid’s offensive workload.
Availability remains the central variable. Embiid’s scoring and defensive ability are well established, but the 2026-27 season will test whether he can sustain that performance across a larger schedule. The upcoming season will offer a clear test of both factors together.
Why fans should watch this season
The 76ers enter the 2026-27 season with a star-studded lineup featuring Embiid, James, Brown, Maxey, and Edgecombe. The roster raises championship expectations while keeping Embiid’s availability at the center of the discussion.
O’Neal’s prediction adds another storyline heading into training camp. Embiid’s games played, production and postseason impact will help determine whether he can re-establish himself alongside Jokić among the league’s top centers.
O’Neal made a confident forecast, but the comparison will remain subjective throughout the season. Embiid must first demonstrate that he can remain available for substantially more games than he has played in recent campaigns. Only time will reveal whether the legendary center’s bold words prove accurate.
Little-known fact: Embiid launched Miniature Géant, a production studio developed in partnership with The SpringHill Company, in 2023.
TL;DR
- Shaquille O’Neal predicted Joel Embiid would be healthy and dominant this season.
- O’Neal claimed Embiid will overtake Nikola Jokic as the league’s top center.
- The 76ers added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown this offseason.
- Embiid has missed roughly 150 games over the past 3 seasons.
- Rich Paul said Embiid’s health played a role in LeBron James signing with the Philadelphia 76ers.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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