Credit: Twitter
Philadelphia 76ers 'Big Man' Joel Embid won his first NBA MVP and he joins Hakeem Olajuwon, who was the first African to win it 1993-94. Embiid also become the first 76ers' player to take home MVP honors since Allen Iverson in 2000-01. Nikola Jokic finished runner-up and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks was third in the NBA MVP standings 2022-23. Embiid received 73 of 100 first-place votes from a panel of broadcasters and journalists and received 915 total points.
Embiid is a great talent but has had his share of injury problems throughout his career. The towering African has become the face of the 76ers and has been performing outstanding this season with 33.1 points per game to win his second straight scoring title, averaged 10.2 rebounds, and tied a career-high 4.2 assists per game with 66 steals and 1.7 blocks per game. In the playoffs so far he has averaged 20 points and assists in the limited time he has got and has been sidelined with a sprained right knee that cost him one game of the playoff sweep against Brooklyn and the opening game of the Eastern Conference semi-finals against Bostonfour assists per game in his three games.
After the win, Embiid said, "It’s been a long time coming. A lot of hard work. I’ve been through a lot. I’m not just talking about basketball. I’m talking about my life. My story. Where I come from. How I got here and what it took for me to be here." Embiid then vowed, "I’ll be back," for the playoff series against the Celtics. The Sixers are trying to win their first NBA title since 1983 and advance past the second round for the first time since 2001. Philadelphia managed to beat Boston 119-115 in their first Conference Semifinals game and will meet again in game two on Wednesday.
The 76ers shared a video during the MVP announcement, where Embiid was cheered by his teammates. Watch the video here:
LeBron James didn’t receive a single MVP vote for the first time in his career
Four-time MVP (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013) LeBron James failed to receive a vote on the MVP list for the first time in his 20-year-long career. The LA star has had a decent season with 28.9 points per game, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists but he was limited to just 55 games. He also broke the all-time NBA scoring record this season. The fact that he was on the ballot for 19 consecutive seasons defines his legacy in the game.
The Lakers finished seventh in the season and qualified for the playoffs. They won the first match of the season against the Grizzlies 4-2 and won the first game against the Golden State Warriors 117-112.
