“You don’t think Michael thought he deserved more, you don’t think LeBron thought he deserved more?” - Shannon Sharpe slams Joel Embiid for his comments on MVP race
Former NFL star-turned-analyst Shannon Sharpe has criticized Joel Embiid's comments on the MVP race.
Embiid recently hinted that if he doesn't win the NBA MVP race this year, it would be unjustified. He believes the media hates him, which could be a potential reason behind his snub this year.
Sharpe expressed his thoughts on the Philadelphia 76ers star's opinion regarding the MVP race during a recent episode of Fox Sports show 'Skip and Shannon: Undisputed,' saying:
"I didn't like it (Embiid's comments). Cause' it comes off as dismissive of Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and Jok (Nikola Jokic) who are in the running for this award with him. He and Giannis have the exact same numbers."
Sharpe continued:
"This notion that I'm so much better than all these guys, this thing should be a no-brainer. They (media) love Joel Embiid, they love his personality, they love his sense of humor... You don't think Michael (Jordan) thought he deserved more, you don't think LeBron (James) thought he deserved more?"
Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic are all in the running for the MVP award. Their numbers are right up there in multiple statistical categories, and their impact on the teams they play for has been unparalleled.
Picking one winner out of the three is going to be a close call. It seems like a decision that will only be determined by the voters when the regular season concludes.
Joel Embiid says if he doesn't win MVP then the media hates him:
"I don't like this. Embiid is being very dismissive of Giannis and Jokić who are in the running for the award with him." — @ShannonSharpe https://t.co/TN09TfOQIr
Why Nikola Jokic could complete the double over Joel Embiid and win his second MVP in a row
After finishing as the runner-up in the MVP race last season, Joel Embiid has had a remarkable year this time around. The 28-year-old is averaging 30.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game so far. His player efficiency rating is 31.26 at the moment, the third-highest across the NBA.
Embiid has played a crucial role in leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a respectable seeding (fourth as of now). Playing without an All-Star alongside him before the trade deadline, his contribution made a significant difference in the Sixers' having a winning record of over 60% for most of the year.
Joel Embiid has managed to put himself in a strong position to win the MVP award because of that. However, the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic have stayed in the hunt with equally good performances, if not better. The trio's displays have made this one of the closest MVP ladder races in a long time.
Jokic currently leads the three-way race, according to oddsmakers. He has played without co-stars Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. for almost the entire season. Despite that, he has still managed to lead the Nuggets to a 47-32 record, the fifth-best in the Western Conference, with only three games left to play in the regular season.
New ESPN story: The results from the final MVP straw poll are in — and they show a major change with less than two weeks remaining before ballots are due. espn.com/nba/story/_/id…
He also leads the league in PER due to this, with a rating of 32.96. Jokic is also the only player in the league to be ranked in the top ten in points (26.8), rebounds (13.7) and assists (8.0) per game.
Embiid's hopes of winning the MVP award have taken a hit due to the recognition the "Joker" has received of late. Consequently, the likeliness of the Cameroonian missing out on the coveted individual accolade seems more right now.