76ers' Joel Embiid Wins 2022-23 NBA MVP over Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo
May 2, 2023
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has won the NBA MVP award for the first time in his career.
Embiid beat a pair of two-time NBA MVP award winners and fellow finalists in Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić.
Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relayed the voting results, which showed that Embiid earned 73 of a possible 100 first-place votes for the resounding win. Jokić held off Antetokounmpo for second.
Keith Pompey @PompeyOnSixers<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NBAAwards?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NBAAwards</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MVP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MVP</a> results. Joel Embiid. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sixers?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sixers</a> <a href="https://t.co/5m4DWh5w9h">pic.twitter.com/5m4DWh5w9h</a>
He averaged an NBA-high 33.1 points on 54.8 percent shooting, 10.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game this season. Embiid propelled the 76ers to a third-place mark in the Eastern Conference with a 54-28 record.
The 29-year-old was nothing short of dominant during the home stretch, with the highlight being a 52-point, 13-rebound game against the Boston Celtics on April 4. He also had a 10-game stretch from March 2-20 where he averaged 36.2 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per contest.
Simply put, he was the best player in the league in the final months, catapulting the 76ers into becoming one of the NBA's top title contenders.
Embiid is the first 76er to be named the MVP since Allen Iverson in 2001. He is the third Philly center to earn the award after Wilt Chamberlain and Moses Malone.
He beat some great competition to win the award.
Antetokounmpo was the best player on the best regular-season team this year. The Bucks finished a league-leading 58-24 to hold off the Boston Celtics for first place in the Eastern Conference.
His presence was of even greater value this year, with three-time All-Star Khris Middleton missing most of the season with injuries. The Bucks needed Antetokounmpo to play at his top form, and he did that and then some en route to guiding Milwaukee to a fantastic regular-season run.
For the year, the 28-year-old averaged 31.1 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game.
As for Jokić, per FiveThirtyEight's RAPTOR player ratings, the Serb is No. 1 in RAPTOR WAR (wins above replacement) with 20.4. The next closest is Embiid at 13.3.
Per Basketball-Reference, Jokić led the NBA in VORP (value over replacement player), BPM (box plus/minus), PER (player efficiency rating), true shooting percentage and win shares (total and per 48 minutes).
The 28-year-old also led the Nuggets to their first-ever first-place regular-season finish in the Western Conference after Denver earned a 53-29 mark.
In the end, it was Embiid who won it all in a year where all three finalists had great cases for the award.