Philadelphia 76ers star Center Joel Embiid wins NBA 2022-23 Most Valuable Player (MVP) for his phenomenal performance in the regular season. Embiid led his team to the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference helping his reach the playoffs.
Joel Embiid was the runner up MVP in the 2021, 2022 seasons. After falling short in the past two seasons Embiid finally gets 73 out of the 100 votes in the season and winning the MVP award. Embiid averages 33.1 points shooting at 54.8% from the field and 33% from the arc. He averages 10.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists 2 blocks and 1 steal per game.
Embiid was presented with the MVP award in Game 3 between Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics in the 2nd round of the NBA playoffs 2022-23. NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Joel Embiid’s family member’s were part of the pre game ceremony. After receiving the award he got emotional as his son ran towards Embiid to hug him.
“Honestly, he’s the main reason why I’m really here.” “Becoming a father changed my whole life. I just wanted to show him a good example, and I’m glad he’s here with us.”
Joel Embiid on winning MVP award
During the past two NBA seasons, Joel Embiid has finished as the runner-up in MVP voting, losing out to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic both times. This created a perceived rivalry between the two players, with Embiid taking some jabs at Jokic throughout the season.
Despite Jokic being the betting favorite for much of the 2022-23 season. The MVP race ultimately became a three-man competition between Embiid, Jokic, and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, as the season progressed, Embiid’s individual numbers skyrocketed while Jokic’s Nuggets struggled as a team, causing Embiid to pull ahead late in the race.
Embiid’s remarkable performance in the final week of the regular season helped solidify his position as the front-runner. He scored an impressive 52 points on 20-of-25 shooting against the Boston Celtics, prompting 76ers coach Doc Rivers to declare the MVP race “over.”
Joel Embiid Expresses Gratitude for Winning Coveted MVP Award
Although Joel Embiid had previously denied caring about whether he won the MVP award in the past few seasons. He recently admitted in an interview with Rachel Nichols on Showtime that it did matter to him. With this new information in mind, it’s clear that Embiid had been gunning for the award for a while.
“That’s the best award you can get as a basketball player, it means a lot. If I were to win it, it would validate all the work that I put in. That’s why I cared about it, because you put in so much work and if you get that recognition, it just validates that you didn’t waste your time.”
Now that Embiid has finally won the coveted MVP trophy, his sights are set on an even greater prize. While Embiid has called the MVP “the best award you can get as a basketball player. Most people would agree that the Finals MVP trophy holds an even greater prestige. In the coming months, Embiid will have a chance to pursue that honor, and if he succeeds, his overall season will go down in NBA history as one of the greatest ever.
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