For the past two seasons, Embiid had finished runner-up to Jokic in the voting. This year, he received 73 first-place votes from the 100-member voting panel. Jokic, on the other hand, only received 15 first-place votes in what was considered the most heated voting since Russell Westbrook and James Harden back in 2017.
Antetokounmpo came in third with 12 first-place votes. Coming in at a distant fourth is Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.
your 2022-23 @Kia NBA MVP: @JoelEmbiid #KiaMVP pic.twitter.com/DNqnd5g9EY
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) May 2, 2023
Its been a long time coming, Embiid said.
A lot of hard work. Ive been through a lot. Im not just talking about basketball. Im talking about my life. My story. Where I come from. How I got here and what it took for me to be here.
Embiid is the first 76ers player to win the award since Allen Iverson did so in 2001. The last one before that was Moses Malone in 1983 and Julius Erving in 1981. Wilt Chamberlain won it from 1966 to 1968.
Back in April when Embiid scored 52 points in the teams win against the Celtics, Coach Doc Rivers had stated: The MVP race is over.
After Embiid won, Rivers said:
I am absolutely thrilled for Joel on winning the MVP award. He is the real deal and deserves every bit of recognition that comes his way.
He embodies everything that the honor stands for. His drive to improve is unmatched, and like the saying a dream doesnt become reality through magic, it takes hard work, hes put in the work.
Embiid is a Cameroonian native who became an American citizen last year.