Embiid led the league with 33.1 points per game
After being the runner-up in consecutive seasons, Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid can finally call himself an NBA MVP.
Embiid was voted the league’s most valuable player for the 2022-23 NBA season.
Embiid finished the previous two seasons behind Denver Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic for MVP, and Jokic was again Embiid’s top competition for the award.
Jokic finished the regular season averaging 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists over 69 games.
Embiid beat him in the eyes of the voters after averaging 33.1 points to lead the NBA, along with 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Embiid also totaled 1.7 blocks per game, while shooting 54.8% from the field over 66 games.
Embiid, 28, has become a franchise star for the 76ers. He notched his sixth straight All-Star appearance this season.
Embiid and his supporting cast of James Harden, Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris and others finished with a 54-28 regular-season record.
It earned them the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, and they defeated the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the NBA Playoffs to move on and face the Boston Celtics.
Embiid is also a four-time All-NBA performer and two-time scoring champion.
Embiid is still seeking an NBA title. The Sixers lead the Boston Celtics 1-0 in an Eastern Conference semifinal series.
