Given the star center’s extensive injury history, the false rumor immediately triggered alarm bells across the basketball community.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Philadelphia 76ers standout Joel Embiid was slated to make his comeback against the Indiana Pacers following a brief absence to manage plantar fasciitis.
However, panic swept across social media after a viral post falsely reported that Embiid had suffered a torn right ACL, effectively ending his 2026–27 NBA season prematurely. Knowing his prior struggles with injuries, 76ers fans were understandably shaken. Here is the truth behind the rumor.
The Rumor: Joel Embiid Sustains Season-Ending ACL Injury
Just in: Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has suffered a torn right ACL. he is out for the rest of the season,sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/QokTkuUkkG
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharrniaa) October 27, 2026
The alarming report began circulating on October 27, courtesy of an X (formerly Twitter) profile masquerading as renowned NBA insider Shams Charania.
The deceptive post announced, “Just in: Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has suffered a torn right ACL. he is out for the rest of the season, sources tell ESPN.”
Because of Embiid’s well-documented battles with knee and foot ailments, supporters immediately feared the worst.
One startled fan reacted online by writing, “almost threw something on the grill nooo 💔”
Another user weighed in on surgical recoveries generally, noting, “embiid had the same procedure like 3 years ago and really didn’t get back to 100% until this year with the knee, obviously ant isn’t embiid but I hate this procedure tbh, but for any chance to come back this year this is what he needed to do.”
Others expressed frustration over the prank. One user remarked, “I blocked this account immediately after seeing this not even remotely funny,” while another asked in disbelief, “Nah, see this too crazy. What’s going on?”
The Reality: The Report is Completely Fabricated
The rumor claiming that the 76ers star tore his ACL and would sit out the remainder of the 2026–27 campaign is entirely untrue.
The misinformation originated from a parody account, @ShamsCharrniaa—which deliberately added extra letters (“r” and “a”) to mimic the real reporter’s handle.
The actual ESPN senior NBA insider, Shams Charania, publishes legitimate updates exclusively from his verified handle, @ShamsCharania.
In truth, Embiid has simply been dealing with mild plantar fasciitis in his right foot, leading the team to manage his playing time carefully.
He sat out the matchup against the Detroit Pistons on October 25 as a precaution, just a day after putting up a dominant triple-double (28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists) in a win over the Milwaukee Bucks on October 24.
Furthermore, updates from CBS Sports and NBA.com confirmed that Embiid was on track to rejoin the lineup for Philadelphia’s contest against the Indiana Pacers on October 28.
No legitimate sports network, including ESPN, has reported any such injury. Despite his medical history, the viral social media post holds zero factual basis.