76ers’ Embiid named NBA MVP for the first time

Joel Embiid is the Most Valuable Player of the 2022-23 North American regular season NBA. This Tuesday (2), pivot Philadelphia Seventy Sixers He was named the league’s Most Valuable Player for the first time.

To win the award, the Cameroonian received 915 votes, replacing Nikola Jokic from Denver Nuggetswith 674 votes and the honoree for the past two seasons, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, of Milwaukee Buckswith 606 votes, and they also received the award respectively in 2019 and 2020.

At 29, Embiid was at the peak of his career in the regular season. With averages of 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists, the player repeated the 2021-2022 feat when he finished as the league’s top scorer.

Born in Cameroon and naturalized in French, the 76-ranked player joins his rivals among the few foreigners to win the award, second on the African continent after Nigerian Hakeem Olajuwon, who won in 1993-94.

In addition to them, Dirk Nowitzki of Germany and Steve Nash of Canada also received the honor.

Scouted for the University of Kansas, Embiid was drafted by the Sixers in 2014 with the third overall pick. However, the debut would only come after two years due to severe and consecutive foot injuries.

The 2.13-foot center was a four-time All-Star selection and was also a key player in the campaign that took the Sixers to third place in the Eastern Conference, with 54 wins and 28 losses.