76ers' Joel Embiid sounds off on MVP award, slams overt media criticism of players trying to get accolades

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Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was arguably snubbed for his first NBA MVP award as it appears set to be given to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic for the second straight time.

Embiid led the league in scoring with 30.6 points per game and carried the 76ers to a fourth-place finish in the Eastern Conference. After the team’s 120-85 loss to the Miami Heat in Game 5 of their NBA playoffs series, Embiid was asked about Jokic taking home the hardware.

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Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers handles the ball against the Heat during the playoff semifinals on May 10, 2022 at FTX Arena in Miami, Florida. (Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

He said he wasn’t surprised Jokic was going to win the award.

"I mean, this is something that I knew weeks ago, even probably two weeks before the season ended, after those games against whether it was Denver and Milwaukee, and when [ESPN did its] straw poll or whatever. I just knew it wasn't gonna happen," the star center said, via ESPN.

"Obviously, congrats to Nikola. He deserved it. He had an amazing season. There's no right or wrong. There was a lot of candidates. It could have gone either way. Giannis [Antetokounmpo], Devin Booker, being on the best team in the league, by far. So, I guess, every year is all about whatever you guys decide, whatever fits the narrative as far as who's gonna win."

Embiid wondered "what else I have to do to win it, and to me, it's like, at this point it's like, it's whatever." He finished runner-up to Jokic last season as well.

Embiid did take issue with Bill Simmons’ comments about Houston Rockets rookie Jalen Green.