Joel Embiid shouldn’t compete in the Olympics due to his recent injury. He ought to get ready for the upcoming Sixers campaign.

I sometimes question whether everyone else is crazy or just me.

Or maybe Joel Embiid is the only one.

The 76ers’ vulnerable center, who has undergone two surgeries on his left knee—his third in seven seasons—took questions from the media on Thursday.

With a melancholic expression on his face, he expressed his sadness that his injury had cut short what had been an incredible season, one not seen since Wilt Chamberlain, who is now the only player in NBA history who can quite compare to Embiid.

In order to assess the durability and health of the joint and determine whether or not he might contribute significantly to the Sixers’ postseason chances, he expressed hope that he could make a comeback in the final 24 games of the regular season.

With a playful demeanor, he stated that he was not thinking about ending his season, not because it wasn’t the best course of action (indeed, it makes more sense to recover for months as opposed to weeks), but rather because he enjoys playing basketball so much.

Then, crazily, he declared that he still intended to compete in this summer’s Olympics in Paris.

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Embiid declared, “I’m playing if I feel well.” “Playing is the plan.”

The strategy? Which strategy? The insane scheme? The “spit in the eye of fate” strategy? The scheme under which Embiid travels to France, falls off the Eiffel Tower, and breaks his eyes sockets for a third time?