Joel Embiid has no more time to waste on the MVP title. The Philadelphia pivot wants to focus on something more important: finally winning a championship.
MVP. Three letters and a dream for all NBA players. A distinction they all chase after. Often, to the point of resignation. And it seems that Joel Embiid is in this case. The Sixers' pivot thought he would get the Grail last year by finishing as the best scorer of the regular season. But he was beaten to the post by Nikola Jokic who won the title for the second consecutive season. So, at the dawn of the 2022-2023 season, many fans and observers thought that the Philadelphia star would have a sense of revenge on the League. Not so, because yes, Embiid is no longer worried of chasing the MVP title.
"What I can control is trying to win a title. And I feel like that's the only way to get respect. So, I'm focusing on that. MVP? It doesn't matter anymore. I just want to be respected. I'm competitive, so I play this game to be at the very top when it comes to the best basketball players of all time. I know that to do that you need awards and titles and all those things. It's unfortunate because I can't decide individual awards," Joel Embiid began by telling FOX Sports.
"If I win a title..."
Joel Embiid is averaging 33 points and 8 rebounds per game this season. Inevitably what to place him among the candidates for the title of best player. However, now, the main thing is elsewhere for the colossus. "I've been in this position (MVP candidate) for two or three years. And it's always the same thing. So I say to myself, 'Hey, OK, let's focus on the one thing I can control. And if that happens, great. But if I win a title, that's better than anything else," Joel Embiid said. This season, Philadelphia is 3rd in the Eastern Conference (40 wins, 21 losses).
