Sixers fans rejoice as Joel Embiid receives MVP recognition: ‘Jo deserves this. The city deserves this’

In 76ers fans’ opinions, Joel Embiid deserved to win MVP three or four years ago. So when he hoisted the trophy Friday, supporters of the Sixers center in the Wells Fargo Center let loose three years of pride in their resounding roar.

Almost every seat was filled with Sixers fans, most on their feet, and tunnels packed with arena employees trying to catch a glimpse. The arena glowed with phone cameras recording the historical moment. And when Embiid’s son Arthur joined him, the place went wild.

Moments after Embiid finished his acceptance speech, Brynna Izquierdo and Tom Haley took a breath from their cheering to reflect on the emotion of the moment. While Izquierdo has been a fan her whole life, Haley’s Sixers fandom took off when he attended Temple University. The two have watched Embiid’s journey from a “goofball” to face of the franchise.

“His whole life story is incredible,” Haley said. “But, like he said, since he had his son, he’s changed everything. And he’s just been a leader and been awesome.”

From their seats in the lower bowl, Izquierdo said she could feel Embiid’s emotion through his words and his tears. His happiness gave them happiness, and they loved seeing the way the city rewarded him.

“He’s always bought into Philly, whereas a lot of athletes get scared or get worried about the booing,” Haley said.

After enjoying the ceremony, Stan Lattie, accompanied by six-year-old Channing Burton, headed to the concourse where they ran into Mark Christian and his seven-year-old grandson Cairo Hashim. Lattie and Christian got to know each other from attending Philly sports games and even went to the Super Bowl together this year.

The two agreed Embiid is the type of player they want the younger generation to look up to.

“I want you to go get one (an MVP), okay?” Lattie teased Burton, who said Embiid is his favorite player.

Lattie didn’t know about Embiid’s son (to which Christian responded “You didn’t? Where you been?”), but seeing father and son interact reinforced his opinion that Embiid is someone he wants representing the city.

Christian, a lifelong Philadelphia fan, said he feels the city has given Embiid the recognition he deserves — it was nice to see the league finally get on board.

“And he won it, what, out of 100, he got 73 votes?” Christian said. “That’s pretty cool.”

The fans filling Xfinity Live before the game echoed Christian’s sentiment that the recognition was overdue.

“Three years ago, when he was in the conversation, I said he’s the most dominant big man in the room,” said Al DeColli of South Philly.

“He got robbed last year,” said Tremayne Terry of Harrisburg. “And then the year before was probably gonna be close. But almost as soon as you saw his skill set, you knew that he was going to be the best player in the NBA.”

Brian Hymon, who attended the game with Terry, nodded along.

“That’s why we’re here celebrating,” Hymon said. “Jo deserves this. The city deserves this.”

It’s been 22 years since a Sixers player was named MVP. Allen Iverson was the last Sixer to be given the title, winning it in 2001. Funny enough, Terry sees a lot of similarities between Embiid and Iverson. To him, Iverson was a guard who played like a big man and Embiid is a big man who can play like a guard.

They’re hoping for another similarity to manifest itself: “I remember when Iverson won MVP, we also went to the Finals,” Terry said. “So that’s the goal here.”

Boston Celtics fans aren’t on board with that, since the Sixers would have to take their team down to get there. But they can still appreciate Embiid as a basketball player.

Unfortunately for Jimmy Gamboli, the moment that solidified Embiid’s MVP bid, for him, came against his Celtics. Gamboli, a junior at Villanova, watched Embiid put up 52 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, helping the Sixers down the Celtics, 103-101.

“Just like with a lot of great basketball players, he makes the game look so easy,” Gamboli said. “Like he had 30 points in the first half, and I didn’t even realize it.”

He may make it look easy, but Embiid’s road to the MVP was anything but. His sweat equity and determination led to the moment he enjoyed Friday night — hoisting an MVP trophy with the entire city of Philadelphia backing him.

“He’s been everything,” DeColli said. “He continues to grind. He continues to improve himself. And that’s something that I think makes Philadelphia so special is that we work hard. We go to work every day, we continue to try and get better and better.

“We support our athletes, because they embody who we are. And when you work hard and you do your job, it means a lot to the people who live in the city because that’s what it’s all about.”