NBA-Joel Embiid: "The MVP? It no longer matters"
Joel Embiid has spoken about the MVP race. And, surprisingly, the Sixers centre no longer wants to hear about it.
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MVP. Three letters and a dream for every player in the NBA. It is an honour they all chase, often to the point of resignation. And it seems Joel Embiid is now in that camp. The Sixers centre thought he had the Holy Grail in his grasp last year after finishing as the regular season's top scorer. But he was beaten to it by Nikola Jokic, who won the award for the second season running. So, on the eve of the 2022-2023 campaign, many fans and observers assumed the Philadelphia star would be out for revenge on the League. Not so. Embiid no longer tires himself out chasing the MVP title.
"What I can control is trying to win a title. And I feel that's the only way to earn respect. So that's what I'm focused on. The MVP? It doesn't matter any more. I just want to be respected. I'm competitive, so I play this game to be right at the top when people talk about the greatest basketball players of all time. I know that for that, you need awards, titles and all those things. It's unfortunate because I can't decide individual awards," Joel Embiid said first of all, speaking to FOX Sports.
"If I win a title…"
Joel Embiid is averaging 33 points and 8 rebounds a game this season, which naturally puts him among the contenders for the best player award. However, what matters most to the big man now lies elsewhere. "I've been in this position (as an MVP candidate, editor's note) for two or three years. And it's always the same. So I tell myself: 'Hey, OK, let's focus on the only thing I can control.' And if it happens, great. But if I win a title, that will be better than everything else," Joel Embiid insisted. This season, Philadelphia are 3rd in the Eastern Conference (40 wins, 21 defeats).