Sixers fans, teammates, and more celebrate Joel Embiid being named MVP

P.J. Tucker posted on Instagram, following Embiid being named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player, "I told you I was gonna do whatever you needed to win MVP and win the world championship."

76ers center Joel Embiid celebrates after Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris sinks a three-pointer in the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets during game two of the first round in the Eastern Conference playoffs on April 17.Read moreYong Kim / Staff Photographer

by Isabella DiAmore

Published May 2, 2023, 10:10 p.m. ET

The star center of the 76ers, Joel Embiid, won the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, the league announced on Tuesday.

After two years of being the runner-up behind Nikola Jokic in the voting for the award, Embiid finished ahead of Jokic and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo this season.

He became the fifth Philly player to win MVP in franchise history. The Sixers haven’t had a player named for the award since Hall of Famer Allen Iverson in 2001.

Embiid, who won a second straight scoring title by averaging 33.1 points this season, watched the announcement on the TNT broadcast with his teammates in Boston as the Sixers are preparing for Game 2 on Wednesday against the Celtics in Eastern Conference Semifinals.

As soon as Charles Barkley said the words “From the Philadelphia 76ers...”, the team erupted from their seats, chanting “MVP, MVP.” Embiid smiled, then placed his hands on his face, trying to hide the emotion.

“I don’t even know where to start,” Embiid said on the TNT broadcast. “It’s been a long time coming. A lot of hard work...I’ve been through a lot — I’m not just talking about basketball; I’m talking about everything as in life...It feels good.”

Across social media teammates, fans, and more reacted to the news, celebrating the center’s accomplishment. Here’s what those people had to say about Embiid winning MVP, starting with the big-man himself.

James Harden kept it short, expressing on Twitter that Embiid’s MVP recognition has been long overdue.

P.J. Tucker posted on Instagram, following the announcement, saying the two spoke about their goals coming into this season, and that he wanted to help Embiid achieve MVP and a championship.

The Sixers were ultimately able to acquire the defensive specialist from Miami this offseason, after Harden took a $15 million pay cut, opting out of his $47.36 million player option for the 2022-23 season and told Daryl Morey, the president of 76ers’ basketball operations, “I want to win.”

Speaking of Morey, he also shared on Twitter that Embiid’s regular season was “legendary” and congratulated him on the honor.

In his seventh year, Embiid finished with a career-best scoring average and ranked seventh in the league for blocks per game. Though his talents were questioned at times, like when Embiid wasn’t selected as a starter in the NBA All-Star game, Morey has made it clear what he thinks about Embiid’s abilities.

Former Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie, who initially started the process when he joined the front office in the 2012 offseason and later selected Embiid in the 2014 NBA Draft, posted a video on Twitter from the final scene of the film “The Pursuit of Happyness,” featuring Will Smith.

Hinkie captioned it “Dream dreams.” Morey later responded with “Most Valuable Process.”

Eagles receiver A.J. Brown and cornerback Darius Slay also posted congratulatory shoutouts to the Sixers star.

And for Sixers fans, they could finally express their feelings about seeing one of the league’s top performers get his standing ovation...