Joel Embiid insists he’s happy not to be involved in ‘toxic’ NBA MVP discussion after returning from a two-month spell on the sidelines… before claiming this year’s race is ‘kind of BORING’
- Joel Embiid has hardly played this season due to a knee injury
- The NBA requires participation in 79 percent of games for MVP
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Joel Embiid said Thursday he’s “glad” not to be involved in the “toxic” MVP conversation after returning from a lengthy injury layoff this week.
Embiid, last year’s MVP, played just 36 games this season as he underwent a partial removal of the lateral meniscus in his left knee in February. The NBA has set a 65-game minimum for end-of-season awards.
So the center is a long way from the MVP race, which he also called “kind of boring” after the Sixers’ win over the Heat.
“I’m glad I’m not in the MVP conversation, that conversation has been toxic for a long time,” he told reporters, adding there was “not enough toxicity.”
“I’m glad I’m nowhere near that, I’m just focused on getting healthy again,” he continued. “You know, it’s clear that all the great candidates all deserve to win. It’s just a shame that only one person has to win.’
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid celebrates as the team leads the Miami Heat
Nikola Jokic appears to be the frontrunner to win the MVP award (for the third time)
With Embiid out of contention for MVP, two-time winner Nikola Jokic has established himself as the frontrunner with another masterful campaign.
Entering the Nuggets’ game against the Clippers on Thursday, the Serbian big man was averaging 26.4 points, 12.3 rebounds and nine assists, with Denver tied with Minnesota for the West’s best record.
Jokic received 85 out of 100 first-place votes for the award in the latest MVP straw poll conducted by ESPN.
Luka Doncic, Shai-Gilgeous Alexander and Giannis Antetokounmpo also vie with Jokic for the award, with Doncic leading the league in scoring average (33.8) and Gilgeous-Alexander leading in games with 30 points (50).
Embiid, who returned from his knee injury on Tuesday, was extremely impressive in limited action, averaging 34.8 points and 10.9 rebounds.
He had 29 and four in Miami on Thursday, as the Sixers earned a crucial 109-105 victory.
With the win, Philly (currently eighth in the East) moved within a game of the sixth seed (held by the Pacers), which could see them avoid the play-in tournament if they can move into that spot with five games remaining to rise.