Larry Henry Jr
The long wait for Joel Embiid has come to an end.
Embiid was named NBA MVP on Tuesday for the first time in his career after edging Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic. Embiid, who won the league’s scoring title in 2022-23, averaged 33.1 points per game, to go along with his 10.2 rebounds and career-high 4.2 assists.
Embiid is the first 76er to win league MVP since Allen Iverson in 2001. Julius Erving in 1981, Moses Malone in 1983 and Wilt Chamberlain from 1966-1968 are other 76ers to win NBA MVP awards.
The 29-year-old Cameroon native played in 66 games for the Sixers, the second-highest total of his career. However, a right knee sprain forced him to miss Game 4 of the Eastern Conference first round against the Brooklyn Nets, as well as Monday’s Game 1 victory over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
your 2022-23 @Kia NBA MVP: @JoelEmbiid 🏆#KiaMVP pic.twitter.com/DNqnd5g9EY
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) May 2, 2023
James Harden’s 45 points propelled the Sixers past the Celtics at TD Garden.
Embiid, a former No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, missed his first two full seasons with injuries before settling in as one of the top big men of his generation. He totaled three 50-point games for the Sixers this season, including a career-high 59 points against the Utah Jazz in November.
He had 13 total 40-point games as well in 2022-23.
Jokic finished as runner-up and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks finished third. Embiid received 73 first-place votes while Jokic received 15 first-place votes, and Antetokounmpo received 12.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Embiid said. “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.”
The Sixers continue their playoff schedule on Wednesday in Boston before returning home to the Wells Fargo Center for Game 3 on Friday.
You can follow Larry Henry on Twitter (@lhenry019) and e-mail him at [email protected].
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