Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid won the 2022–23 NBA Most Valuable Player award on Tuesday night, May 2.
Embiid, the runner-up in each of the past two years, beat out Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, who had combined to win the past four MVPs.
The Sixers’ big man from Cameroon received 73 of 100 first-place votes from a panel of broadcasters and journalists and received 915 total points. Jokic placed second with 15 first-place votes and 674 points; Antetokounmpo received the other 12 first-place votes and had 606 total points.
Embiid, 29, is the second player from Africa to win the prestigious award, joining only Hakeem Olajuwon (1993–94). He’s also the first 76ers player to take home MVP honors since Allen Iverson in 2000–01….