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Joel Embiid vows not to place MVP candidacy over health: ‘I’ve already done it’

The Sixers star has missed 10 of an allowed 17 games so far this season.

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid during the second quarter of the game against the Houston Rockets at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa. on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. The Philadelphia 76ers won 124 to 115.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid during the second quarter of the game against the Houston Rockets at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa. on Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. The Philadelphia 76ers won 124 to 115.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer

Joel Embiid is on pace to top his MVP-winning season from last year, averaging an NBA-best 34.6 points with 11.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. He put together another impressive performance on Monday against the Rockets with 41 points, 10 rebounds and three assists after missing the Sixers’ last three games.

The superstar center is considered the early favorite for the award, but there’s one main obstacle in his way — health. In order to be eligible for NBA MVP, Embiid must play in 65 of 82 games.

Embiid has already missed 10 games for various reasons this season, including knee, hip and ankle injuries. He can now only miss seven of the Sixers’ 44 remaining games this year to be eligible. But he said postgame on Monday that he’s going to prioritize being healthy for the playoffs over winning his second consecutive MVP, and let the medical staff take the lead on those decisions.

“I’ve already done it,” Embiid said of winning that award. “I’ve always said, ‘I want it all.’ If I have a chance to get a second one, I’ll do it. But I’m not going to force myself or push for it. My game is always going to speak for itself. … If there’s something going on and I can’t make the requirement for the amount of games played to qualify for that, then so be it. One thing we’re not going to do is push for it to try to make that requirement.

“If I’m healthy enough and these guys [the medical staff] are letting me play, then I’ll play. If they’re telling me, ‘You gotta chill,’ then I’ll chill.”

The Sixers are near the top of the Eastern Conference with a 25-13 record and are looking to advance past the second round for the first time since 2000. They are 22-6 with Embiid playing and 3-7 without Embiid this season.