How many NBA MVPs has Joel Embiid won?
Joel Embiid is recognized as one of the most dominant players in the NBA right now. He averaged 33.1 points on 54.8% shooting, 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists in the regular season. With a commanding 2-0 series lead against the Brooklyn Nets, Embiid looks primed for a stellar postseason run with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Along with his impressive regular-season numbers, his accolades continue to pile up as well.
Joel Embiid is a six-time All-Star who has made the All-NBA Second Team four times and the All-Defensive Second Team three times. The 76ers big man is also a two-time NBA Scoring Champion and was included in the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Even with his stellar record of achievements, Embiid has never won an MVP.
Joel Embiid, in the seven seasons that he's played in the league, has never averaged below 20.0 points per game, 7.8 rebounds and a shooting percentage of 46.6%.
Whether past MVP winners deserved the award more than Joel is all a matter of debate, but in his seventh NBA season, there is a strong possibility that Embiid will win his first MVP due to the incredible season he has had.
Joel Embiid on winning MVP
Joel Embiid sat down with Rachel Nichols on "Headliners with Rachel Nichols" on Showtime on April 12 and discussed the value of winning the MVP.
"One thing I’ll say is that if people tell you that they don’t care about it, they’re lying," Embiid said. "That’s the best award you can get as a basketball player, it means a lot. If I were to win it, it would validate all the work that I put in."
For Joel Embiid, winning the MVP award comes with a different form of recognition. He feels that with the amount of work he has put into his craft, the award will warrant what he has shown on the court.
In a recent poll done by The Athletic's Sam Amick and Josh Robbins, out of 102 anonymous NBA players that took part in the poll, 50% voted for Embiid as their choice to win the MVP. Nikola Jokic received 25.5% of the votes, while Giannis Antetokounmpo had 15.7%.
"I would say Joel, honestly, because what he did last year [should have earned him MVP]," an anonymous NBA player said. "I think even this year, the way he has been playing, and has been for a while, I'll say Joel. I'll say Joel, but also [it's been] Jokić in the past few years, and I think it'd be good to get somebody else."