It took Embiid just 373 career games to hit the mark, while it took Iverson 378. Then there's Julius Erving (425), Charles Barkley (445) and Billy Cunningham (477). Those are some legendary names on that list, and that should help to put Embiid's production into perspective. No one is more synonymous with scoring the basketball while wearing a Sixers uniform than Iverson, and the fact that Embiid outpaced him to five figures really says something.
Embiid is a generational scorer at a position that has been largely phased out of the game, at least in its traditional form, and when he ultimately hangs up his signature Under Armours, he'll go down as one of the most productive point producers of all time. As it stands, he's currently the NBA's all-time leader in points scored per 36 minutes. Had he not been on a minutes restriction early in his career, he would have reached 10K even quicker, and his point total would be much higher if he didn't miss the first 164 games of his career -- a fact that isn't lost on Embiid.
"I can only think what if I didn't miss all these games, but that's not where the focus is," Embiid said of the milestone. "I'm just focused on what I can do to help the team. Whether it is scoring a lot, passing, defensively- then I'm going to do it."
The big man obviously deserves a ton of credit for persevering through those early injury issues and turning himself into a polished, well-rounded scorer and a perennial MVP candidate. Similarly, the Sixers as an organization also deserve some props for the patience they practiced. They didn't rush Embiid out on the floor, or give up on him. Instead, they allowed him to progress at his own pace and play when he was ready, and they've been reaping the benefits ever since.
Embiid has led the Sixers to four conference semifinals appearances in the past five years, and this year with a retooled roster and bolstered bench, they hope to advance even further. In the meantime, there's nothing wrong with acknowledging how special Embiid's run in Philly has been so far.
"It's impressive, especially at the position that he's playing at because he needs the ball given to him for him to score," Sixers coach Doc Rivers said of Embiid's milestone after the game. "Guards have the ball, they can score the ball whenever they want to. So that just tells you how dominant Joel has been."
Embiid has already established himself as an all-time great for the Sixers, and at just 28 years old, he still has a whole lot of legacy left to author.