76ers Joel Embiid weighs in on MVP chatter: My 'play speaks for itself'
There was no way Joel Embiid was going to make it through All-Star weekend without being asked about chatter he is an early and heavy favorite to win league MVP.
The 76ers center addressed the topic during his media availability on Saturday, saying his biggest concern is that his team wins and that his own play "speaks for itself."
"I don't want to push for the whole thing, but the way I've been playing speaks for itself," Embiid said while holding his infant son in his lap. "Especially with everything we went through, the drama this whole year, obviously missing a big piece, and then everything that happened to our team, and the way our team is set up.
"So, I knew had to take my game to another level, whether it was offensively, defensively, or playmaking, and I've got great teammates that are coming in every single day and giving their all on the floor. But it always goes back to winning. As long as we win, I'll be at that level and have a chance to win it all and win the MVP.
"But to answer your question, the play speaks for itself. Every single night, that's what I've been doing offensively and defensively and I don't plan on stopping."
Philadelphia did, in fact, spend the first half of the season under the spotlight due to the ongoing debacle involving Ben Simmons hanging over them. Embiid more than rose to the occasion despite the off-court drama and entered the All-Star break leading the NBA with 29.6 points per game.
Now, with Simmons shipped off to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for James Harden, the 76ers can really focus on making a big second-half push. Philadelphia currently sits in third place in the Eastern Conference, 2.5 points behind the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat.
Embiid, for his part, believes he can reach an even higher level when the regular season resumes.
"There's still another level that I can get to, that I believe I can get to," he said, via ESPN. "And I plan to keep working to reach that level."
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