Joel Embiid doesn’t need regular-season awards. He’s already won just by being back out on the floor.

The NBA's reigning MVP will tell you that he’s still not where he wants to be. But being back on the court with teammates has provided a sense of comfort that he probably hasn’t felt in some time.

by Keith Pompey

Published April 7, 2024, 5:00 a.m. ET

MEMPHIS — Two months ago, could you have even thought?

Imagine being squished in a media scrum in the visitors’ locker room in Miami Thursday, and in the chair in front of you sits a giant smiling with a hoodie on and a towel wrapped around his waist.

His name is Joel Embiid, and he’s finally at peace.

“For me personally, I didn’t have to come back, but I want to play,” Embiid said following the Sixers’ 109-105 victory over the Miami Heat in his second game back following left knee surgery.

“I love playing basketball,” he added, “and I want to be on the floor.”

Immediately, you think about how dominant Embiid has been on the court and the accolades that missing 41 games with various injuries and ailments have cost him.

According to the new collective bargaining agreement, players must participate in at least 65 games to be eligible for the NBA’s regular-season awards — including Most Valuable Player. Because of that, the 7-foot-2, 280-pound center isn’t a candidate to win a second straight MVP.

In addition, his averages of 34.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in just 33.6 minutes aren’t listed among league leaders because he has not played in at least 70% of the Sixers’ games.

While understandable, it’s disheartening to see someone with such dominance not being recognized for it.

But Embiid is in a state of comfort that he probably hasn’t felt in some time. He recently admitted that he dealt with depression after tearing the meniscus in his left knee on Jan. 30 and having surgery on Feb. 6. He’ll tell you that he’s still not where he wants to be. But being back on the court with teammates has put him in a better place.

About two months ago, there was the external pressure that comes with putting up Wilt Chamberlain-like statistics to will the Sixers to victory. There were also debates over who was the league’s best center and the rightful MVP.

Even after Embiid won the award in landslide voting last season, critics said Nikola Jokić was more deserving after leading the Denver Nuggets to the 2023 NBA title.

Embiid got the best of Jokić, scoring 41 points and 10 rebounds in a 126-121 home victory over the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 16. But not knowing the severity of his knee problems, Nuggets fans and some in the national media believed he missed the Nuggets’ 111-105 victory on Jan. 27 to avoid facing Jokić at high altitude.

Those fans and the media realized three days later that Embiid had been playing on one leg before tearing his meniscus against the Golden State Warriors.

Now with Embiid out of the running, Jokić is favored to win his third MVP award in four seasons. Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dallas Mavericks point guard Luka Dončić, and Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo are the other leading candidates.

That leads us back to late Thursday night, when Embiid had media members, microphones, and television cameras staring down at him. In the second-to-last question during a 7-minute, 25-second media session, Embiid was asked who deserves the award.

“I’m happy I’m not even in the conversation,” he said. “That conversation has been toxic for a very long time. I’ll be honest, this year is kind of boring. This year, there’s not enough toxicity going around. So it’s pretty fun, but at some point, it’s pretty bad, too.

“I’m glad I’m not nowhere near that. I’m just focused on getting back healthy. Obviously, all great candidates and they all deserve to win, which is unfortunate that only one person has [a chance] to win.”

While he wouldn’t answer the question specifically, his response suggested Embiid might actually be at peace since returning Tuesday.