Officially, Joel Embiid’s season is ended because the Philadelphia 76ers said their star center would have left knee arthroscopic surgery next week. The operation seeks to fix residual problems keeping the former MVP off the floor for most of the season.

Seven-time All-Star Embiid has been suffering with ongoing knee swelling and pain—an ailment worsened following a February 22 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. That game he scored 14 points in 31 minutes, but he hasn’t dressed up since. The team had already declared him off for the whole regular season, and now, with surgery just ahead, the emphasis moves to long-term recovery.

Embiid’s second knee operation in little over a year marks yet another difficult break in an otherwise injury-free career. Sadly for the Sixers as well as him, this most recent setback occurred during a season starting with championship hopes.