It’s been a while since a Philadelphia 76ers player last took the MVP trophy home.
In fact, Allen Iverson was the last Sixer to do that back in 2001, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Charles Barkley as the only three MVPs in franchise history.
Notably, Joel Embiid has a strong chance to join that list.
He’s been a perennial candidate to take home the award, yet Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic have beaten him.
This year, however, Julius ‘Dr. J’ Erving believes it’s finally time the big man gets the nod:
“I said I’m biased, so I’ll be East coast,” Dr. J told ESPN. “. I’m from New York, but Philly is my second home, so I got to go with Joel [Embiid]. He’s been knocking at the door for two years; came up just short. He’s constantly challenging himself, saying, ‘What do I have to do?’ now he’s leading the league in scoring. I don’t know if it’s gonna end up like that at the end of the year, but he would be my choice as a favorite.”
Julius Erving has Joel Embiid to be named the MVP this year.#BrotherlyLove pic.twitter.com/DAwz0oSk5g
— 𝙏𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣’ 𝙉𝘽𝘼 (@_Talkin_NBA) January 5, 2023
Embiid has most definitely put together multiple MVP-caliber seasons, but he’s been quite unfortunate because of how incredible his competitors have been.
So, as much as Dr. J wants him to win this year, he’ll need to close out the season in a historical fashion to snatch the award away from Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum, or even Kevin Durant.
But hey, there’s always next season, Joel, so don’t sweat it, man.
It’ll happen.
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