76ers' Joel Embiid reflects on 'improbable' run to MVP Award
One day after earning his first MVP Award and hours ahead of a potential return from injury for Game 2 of an Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid reflected on his journey.
After finishing as the MVP runner-up to Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic in each of the last two seasons, Embiid finally broke through on Tuesday night. The native of Cameroon won the hardware with 73% of the first-place votes and received 915 total points to Jokic's 674. Milwaukee Bucks former two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo finished in third place with 606 points.
While he said that "improbable doesn't mean impossible" during his Wednesday media session, Embiid also said that, given his upbringing and late start in learning basketball, his chances of winning an MVP were probably "negative zero."
It's been a long personal journey for Embiid on his way to the top individual award, but also a continuing one for the Sixers. Heading into Game 2 with a 1-0 series lead, Philadelphia is looking to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001, when Allen Iverson and company lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.
The 76ers selected Embiid as the third overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft and Ben Simmons as the first overall selection in 2016, as ownership told fans to "trust the process."
The early seasons of futility under Brett Brown eventually lead to playoff appearances under the former head coach, and now Doc Rivers.
Former Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie resigned in 2016 after three years in the position, exiting prior to the recent postseason appearances.
Though the team made the playoffs in four straight seasons with Embiid and Simmons from the 2017-18 campaign through the 2020-21 season, they never got past the second round.
Following the early departure in the 2021 playoffs, Sixers fans became fed up with the postseason shortcomings and placed the blame on Simmons, who disappeared in big situations during the second-round upset loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
The former Rookie of the Year sat out the entire 2021-22 campaign and was sent to the Nets in February last year as a part of a blockbuster trade that saw James Harden land with the 76ers.
In a career-low 42 games (33 starts) this season, Simmons finished with career lows across the board in points (6.9), rebounds (6.3), assists (6.1), steals (1.3) and minutes per game (26.3). He was officially shut down for the season in late March due to a knee injury and his Nets were swept in the first round of this spring's playoffs by Embiid and the Sixers.
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