Author: Monojit Mandal
The Philadelphia 76ers’ star player, Joel Embiid, has finally realized his long-held goal of winning the NBA MVP award. However, Embiid expressed his dissatisfaction with the timing of the awards ceremony during a press conference after his team’s loss to the Boston Celtics.
Embiid received the MVP award for the 2022-23 season at a ceremony before his team’s Game 3 against the Celtics on Friday. The experience became much more memorable when his son Arthur approached him during the celebration, forcing the basketball player to cry. His mother was also present, which added to the commotion. Embiid missed the first two seasons of his career due to injuries, making this his first MVP award in nine years.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(779x239:781x241)/Joel-Embiid-02-050623-63bc04cc4dab44009aeb70ec9fa4bdb3.jpg)
Despite his joy at receiving the award, Embiid was unhappy with the timing of the presentation. He believed that presenting it at a more opportune moment would have avoided the attention and disruption it generated. “I don’t think it’s affected me, but all this attention can be a distraction,” Embiid said at a press conference.
Although Embiid may have spoken out of irritation after his team’s defeat, his comment was surprising given that he recently expressed his gratitude for the honor. Embiid acknowledged his ambition to win the award in a recent interview, saying it was a goal he had set for himself.
Despite Embiid’s protests, the MVP ceremony was out of his control. The NBA calendar is predetermined and the ceremony was scheduled for that exact date. Although Embiid’s team lost the game, he performed admirably, scoring 30 points and grabbing 13 rebounds while suffering an LCL sprain in his knee.
Despite the loss and Embiid’s protest, the Sixers still have a chance to win the series. The team will have another chance to regain the lead and advance to the next round of the playoffs against the Celtics.