Joel Embiid Reveals Summer Weight Loss in New Video

PHILADELPHIA (973espn.com) -- The Philadelphia 76ers have been on a summer break for roughly five months now. The last time we saw the Sixers take the court, they wrapped up their remarkable season with a devastating Game 7 loss against the Toronto Raptors.

While the seven-game series stung in the end, there was a lot to look forward to for the 2019-2020 Sixers' campaign. After that loss in Toronto, it was unclear who was going to make it back to Philly's roster though. As they only had a few young players locked in beyond that 2018-2019 run, you could expect the next year's roster to look quite different.

And it will, except the usual young suspects still remain on board. That includes the team's superstar center, Joel Embiid. While Embiid anticipates spending the remainder of his career in Philadelphia, he had to show the organization he's truly dedicated to bettering himself for the game of basketball.

The talent he possesses is undeniable -- but the game goes beyond raw talent. Last year, Embiid was criticized periodically throughout the season for how he takes care of himself off the court. After being accused of packing on too much weight with a poor diet, many believed that was a driving factor in Embiid's poor conditioning during the season.

Therefore, it became a goal of his to get into better shape as he looks to lead the Sixers on another playoff run this upcoming season. Nobody has seen too much of Embiid as of late for a change, but apparently, his offseason workouts have been quite productive and successful.

Recently, Embiid took part in a chip eating challenge. Basically, the NBA star was instructed to eat a single tortilla chip, which was called the 'Carolina Reaper Pepper.' As the chip was extra spicy, Embiid struggled to keep his composure despite saying that he was fully prepared for the spiciness.

In order to tolerate the spice better, Embiid continuously chugged milk. That's when he revealed he lost tons of weight over the summer but joked that all of the milk he was drinking at the time was going to gain it back.

So how much did he lose this offseason? Apparently, a solid 25-pounds! While it's slightly visible as Embiid looks a bit slimmer, the weight loss test will partake next month as the Sixers launch their 2018-2019 campaign.

The hope for Philly is that Embiid's weight loss helps him move better on the court and stay in optimal shape throughout the season. That should give the Sixers a much better chance at making a deeper playoff run this upcoming season.