Joel Embiid’s $125M for 400 Missed Games Mocked, Yet One WNBA Star Sees It Differently

At this point, seeing Joel Embiid on the court feels more like a rare event than the norm. The Sixers’ star big man has spent nearly as much time on the injury report as he has in the paint, and this season has been no different. He’s played just 13 of Philly’s first 44 games, his left knee refusing to cooperate. And then came the stat that sent the internet into a frenzy—400 games missed, $125 million earned. The jokes and criticism came fast, but not everyone was ready to pile on. One WNBA star had a different take.

According to Underdog NBA, “With his 400th missed game, Embiid has now made $125,695,189 of his total earnings while sitting on the bench. Elite use of company PTO.” The internet ran with it, turning Embiid into the face of paid absences. But WNBA star Lexie Brown pushed back against the ridicule. “Still winning an MVP in your career while missing 400 games is impressive,” she wrote.

And she has a point—despite the injuries, Embiid remains one of the most dominant forces in the NBA, proving that when he does play, few can match his impact. Still, frustration lingers in Philly, especially after the NBA fined the Sixers for vague injury reports, adding to the uncertainty.

Fans wonder if they’ll ever get a full season of MVP-level Embiid or if his career will always be defined by what could have been. For Lexie Brown, that struggle hits close to home.

Lexie Brown knows the cost of missed games—and why Embiid’s story hits differently

Diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2023, Brown has also watched her availability dwindle. In 2022, she played 34 games, but that number dropped to 12 in 2023 and 16 in 2024.

In May 2024, an ESPN graphic went viral, listing WNBA players and their reasons for missing time. Next to Brown’s name, it simply read: “Crohn’s disease.” Unlike a torn Achilles or a knee injury, this wasn’t something rehab could fix.

Since returning to the league, Brown has prioritized her health over the noise, even deleting X (formerly Twitter) to find peace amid the growing spotlight on the WNBA’s new wave of stars, including Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Cameron Brink.

But recently, on doctors’ advice, she made the difficult decision to step away again. “So much of healing is mental,” she told Women’s Health. “So I’m taking that time finally, with no pressure from anybody or the team, to get back.”

For Brown, learning to listen to her body hasn’t been easy. “As an athlete, if someone asks, ‘Oh, are you sure? Can you [play]?’ You’re gonna say yes, because that’s how we’re programmed,” she admitted. But Crohn’s is different. “This is something that you just can’t outwork.” Now, instead of pushing through, she’s stepping back—so she can come back stronger.

Embiid and Brown’s battles may be different, but the fight is the same. Sometimes, the hardest move in sports isn’t playing—it’s knowing when to step back.