Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid wins first MVP - ESPN

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award for the 2022-23 season, the league announced on Tuesday.

Embiid, who finished second behind Nikola Jokic in the voting for the award each of the past two seasons, flipped the script this time around, finishing ahead of both Jokic and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo for the league's top individual honor.

What had felt like a tight race throughout much of the season ended up a blowout, with Embiid garnering 73 of the 100 available first-place votes (915 total). Jokic had 15 first-place votes (674 total) while Antetokounmkpo had 12 first-place votes (606) total. Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum finished fourth and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished fifth.

«I don't even know where to start,» Embiid said during an interview on «Inside The NBA» after winning the award. «It's been a long time coming, a lot of hard work. I've been through a lot, and I'm not just talking about basketball… it feels good. I don't know what to say. It's amazing.»

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