Joel Embiid is eyeing a 20-year career with the Philadelphia 76ers as he talked up a new training regime following a disappointing 2019-20 NBA season.

Embiid and the 76ers were far from their best following a first-round series sweep against Eastern Conference rivals the Boston Celtics inside the Orlando bubble at Walt Disney World Resort amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The fitness of Embiid – the third pick in the 2014 draft – has always been a topic of discussion, with the three-time All-Star's longevity often in the spotlight as the 76ers chase their first championship since 1983.

As the 76ers prepare for the 2020-21 campaign under new head coach Doc Rivers, Embiid told reporters on Thursday: "This summer is the one that I really tried to really focus on it. By just having my own chef, nutritionist, my own [physical therapist] and massage therapist.

"Just doing whatever I can to take care of my body and so I'm able to play 20 years here in Philly. I think that's the thing I've learned the most since I've been in the league, and it was a short time between the end of this past season and this new season, but it's a work in progress.

"You've got to start somewhere but it's been going great, and I'm still learning every single day."

Embiid has established himself as one of the best big men in the league but he has still been criticised for his lack of consistency and poor fitness at times.

The 26-year-old wanted to carry the 76ers in the absence of injured All-Star Ben Simmons and while averaging 30.0 points and 12.3 rebounds per game in the playoffs – an increase on his regular-season averages of 23.0 points and 11.6 rebounds, which were a dip on his 2018-19 numbers – he looked worn out.

We agree, @JoelEmbiid. pic.twitter.com/wZqvuc1o12

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 10, 2020

There could be some concern that he does not play well at the end of close games. In his career – regular season and playoffs – Embiid has had 17 potential game-tying or go-ahead shots in the last 30 seconds of the fourth quarter and overtime, and he is just one-for-17.

The only shot he made was a dunk against the Cleveland Cavaliers in November 2019.

Philadelphia head into the new season with renewed optimism following the arrivals of championship-winning duo Danny Green and Dwight Howard, plus sharp-shooter Seth Curry, after Al Horford and Josh Richardson were traded.

"The main thing is winning,” Embiid added. "Like I said in the past when you win, everybody wins. If we win, that means all these awards, I'm up there for those considerations.

"As a player of my, I guess my talent should always be in MVP conversations or Defensive Player of the Year conversations and all NBA. It should be like that every single year. So, to be able to accomplish that you got to win so I think that's the main thing.

"Winning cures everything, it makes everybody happy. It's going to help me when it comes to awards and stuff so that’s the thing that, we, as a team we really got to focus on."

The 76ers will face the Celtics (Tuesday) and Indiana Pacers (December 18) in preseason before opening their campaign against the Washington Wizards on December 23.