But a good place to start reflecting is that despite all the natural talent that Embiid possesses, his career arc has been unique. To sum up Embiid’s career, and how the 29-year-old big man got to the point where he was voted the most valuable player in the best basketball league on the planet, is an impossible task. Why Joel Embiid is the MVP, and the rest of my NBA awards votes Embiid: An unlikely MVP The last American-born player to win MVP was James Harden in 2018. He averaged a career-high 31.1 points on the NBA’s best regular-season team this time. ![]() The Serbian center is the only player ever to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists on at least 60 percent shooting, and he also led the NBA with 29 triple-doubles.Īntetokounmpo, from Greece, won MVP in 20. Jokić, by contrast to Embiid, averaged “only” 24.5 points per game, but was tied for third in the league with Antetokounmpo in rebounds (11.8), fourth in assists (9.8) and shot an absurd 63 percent from the field. But you know, I just want people to just remember that anything’s possible, no matter what you do, as long as you believe in it.” It obviously took a lot of work and a lot of luck. That’s hard to make it and to be able to be in this position. “For me, started playing basketball at only 16, that’s hard. “What I want people to remember is that anything is possible,” Embiid said. Embiid won easily with 73 first-place votes and 25 seconds, as voters were swayed by his dominance, the narrative of him winning his first award, perhaps rejecting Jokic as a three-time winner, and watching Jokic miss several games over the final two weeks. The race was expected to be one of the closest ever, with polling of league voters showing a dead heat between Embiid and Jokic late in the season. Where I come from, and how I got here and what it took for me to be here so, it feels good.” “I’m not just talking about basketball, I’m talking about everything as a life – my story. Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell remain the only other players to win three consecutive MVPs. That was followed by years of being the centerpiece of former Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie’s “Trust the Process” campaign to slowly try to build a winner around him.Įmbiid’s triumph comes after two consecutive seasons in which he was worthy of the award, but finished second to Jokić, the 20 NBA MVP who was trying to become the first player since Larry Bird in 1986 to win it three years in a row. He was mobbed by teammates in the hotel ballroom after his name was announced, burying his face in his massive hands as they hugged him and chanted “M-V-P, M-V-P.”Įmbiid, who was born in Cameroon, didn’t start playing basketball until age 16, and is now a six-time NBA All-Star, won MVP for the first time in a career that began with him missing the entirety of his first two seasons due to complications from a broken bone in his foot. on 98.7 FM, the Arizona Sports app and .“It’s been a long time coming,” said Embiid, during his televised interview with TNT’s Inside the NBA analysts, from the team hotel in Boston, where the Sixers are in the middle of a second-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics. Both teams are on the backend of back-to-back games. The Suns will look to pick up some slack against the 76ers (winners in 9 of last 11) after dropping three straight games and falling to the No. On Friday against the Golden State Warriors, Embiid posted 46 points (13-for-23 shooting), nine rebounds and eight assists. 3 seed, currently, in the Eastern Conference. The big man has been the engine of Philadelphia’s run to a 49-24 mark and No. Philadelphia will turn to a mixture of Tyree Maxey, Shake Milton and De’Anthony Melton to take the ball up the court.Įmbiid is having a monster season, averaging 33.4 points per game on 54.7% shooting (both career highs), 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.7 blocks. The 14-time All-Star guard is averaging 21.4 points per game on 44.1% shooting, 6.3 rebounds and 10.8 assists. Report: Suns' Kevin Durant progressing toward return vs.
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