When did Joel Embiid win the NBA MVP award?
Joel Embiid won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award on the 2nd of May 2023, becoming the fifth 76er ever to win league MVP honors, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Allen Iverson, and Moses Malone.
Questions about Joel Embiid
Short answers, pulled from the story.
How many points did Joel Embiid score in his career-high game?
Joel Embiid scored 70 points on the 22nd of January 2024 against the San Antonio Spurs, setting the Philadelphia 76ers franchise record for points in a game and breaking the mark previously held by Wilt Chamberlain since 1967.
Why did Joel Embiid miss his first two NBA seasons?
Embiid missed the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons due to a broken navicular bone in his right foot. He underwent surgery before the 2014 draft and required a second surgery on the 18th of August 2015 after a CT scan revealed insufficient healing.
What country did Joel Embiid represent at the 2024 Olympics?
Embiid represented the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning a gold medal. He was eligible to play for Cameroon, France, or the United States but chose Team USA, citing his son who was born in the U.S.
What scoring records did Joel Embiid set as an NBA center?
Embiid won back-to-back NBA scoring titles in 2021-22 (30.6 points per game) and 2022-23 (33.1 points per game), becoming the first center to lead the league in scoring since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000, the first center to average over 30 points per game since Moses Malone in 1982, and the first foreign-born player ever to win an NBA scoring title.
Where was Joel Embiid born and how did he start playing basketball?
Embiid was born on the 16th of March 1994 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. He grew up playing volleyball and soccer and did not begin playing basketball until age 15. He was discovered at a basketball camp by fellow Yaoundé native and NBA player Luc Mbah a Moute, who became his mentor and helped him move to the United States at 16.