Chicago (USA), May 2 (EFE) Jokic, of the Denver Nuggets and winner of this award in the last two years, and the Greek Giannis Antetokounmpo, of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Embiid led the NBA in points scored per game, averaging 33.1, to which he added 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists, with 55% shooting from the field.
The center led some 76ers who qualified third in the Eastern Conference (54-28) and who are playing the Eastern semifinals of the ‘playoffs’ against the Boston Celtics.
Embiid returned an MVP to the 76ers for the first time since 2001, when Allen Iverson won it. He is the fifth player in the franchise to do so after Wilt Chamberlain (1966, 1967 and 1968), Julius Erving (1981), Moses Malone (1983) and Iverson himself.
The 29-year-old Cameroonian had been second for the past two years when Jokic took the prize. Previously, Antetokounmpo won it in 2019 and 2020.
“I don’t know where to start, it took a lot of work, I went through a lot, and I’m not just talking about basketball, but about life, because of my history, where I come from, what it took me to get here. It’s fantastic, ”Embiid said when commenting on his victory on ‘TNT’.
“I thank my teammates, I couldn’t have done it without them. They are working hard and they put me in a position to succeed. I am grateful to my teammates,” she added.
Embiid will receive the award named after Michael Jordan, a five-time MVP and six-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.
“We are going to celebrate for five minutes and then we will return to work, we have a series to win. Yesterday’s win was important,” said Embiid, connecting from the 76ers hotel in Boston, where his team is playing the series against the Celtics.
He also thanked his uncle for encouraging him to play basketball when he was 16 years old and when it seemed very difficult to reach the level to reach the NBA.
“I want people to remember that anything is possible. I started playing at the age of 16 and it’s complicated. It took a lot of work and a lot of luck. Everything is possible, you have to have faith, ”he insisted.
