The Process, Complete 🏆

05/03/2023 The Process, Complete 🏆

By: Jeff Yoder

76ers Center Joel Embiid Wins 1st Career NBA MVP Award

It was 2010 when Joel Embiid first picked up a basketball at the age of 15 (2010). By 2014, he was the No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft. Nine years later, after trusting the process and swaying the voters, the 7-footer is officially the NBA MVP. Embiid led Philadelphia to the No. 3 seed in the East this season while putting up some eye-popping numbers, including 13 40-point games. Embiid finally beat out the other big men who split the last four MVP awards — Nikola Jokic (Nuggets) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks).

 

Joel Embiid’s 2022-23 Season

33.1 PPG | 10.2 RPG | 4.2 APG | 54.8% FG

 

2022-23 NBA MVP Voting

1. Joel Embiid (PHI): 73 1st-Place Votes (915 points)

2. Nikola Jokic (DEN): 15 1st-Place Votes (674 points)

3. Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL): 12 1st-Place Votes (606 points)

4. Jayson Tatum (BOS): 89 4th-Place Votes (280 points)

5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC): 28 5th-Place Votes (46 points)

 

Trust the Process

The MVP announcement brought Embiid to tears while watching with his teammates at a hotel in Boston before tonight’s Game 2 against the Celtics. And if you know Embiid’s story, you’ll know that this was a long time coming. The Sixers’ big fella nearly walked away from basketball after multiple injuries early in his career and after losing his brother in a car accident. The famous Philly mantra — “Trust the Process” — came to life early in Embiid’s career with the Sixers banking on his ascension to stardom. His nickname, “The Process,” finally feels complete with a little bit of hardware and recognition. The only thing missing? A ‘chip.

 

Fun Fact: Embiid is the fifth player in 76ers history to win MVP, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, and Allen Iverson. That’s some elite company.

 

Congrats to Joel Embiid, the 2022-23 NBA MVP.

 

All 2022-23 NBA Awards

MVP: Joel Embiid (76ers)

DPOY: Jaren Jackson Jr. (Grizzlies)

Rookie of the Year: Paolo Banchero (Magic)

6th Man: Malcolm Brogdon (Celtics)

Most Improved: Lauri Markkanen (Jazz)

Clutch POY: De’Aaron Fox (Kings)

Coach of the Year: Mike Brown (Kings)

 

Additional Storylines

SI: Joel Embiid Is One of the Most Improbable MVPs Ever

Yahoo! Sports: Watch: Joel Embiid’s Reaction to Winning MVP is a Tearjerker

USA Today: LeBron James Gets No MVP Votes for 1st Time in Career

 

Image via Giphy