🏀 Joel Embiid Named NBA Most Valuable Player

Former Kansas men’s basketball standout Joel Embiid was named the 2022-23 NBA Most Valuable Player, the league announced Tuesday. Embiid had finished runner-up in the NBA MVP voting in each of the two previous seasons.

Embiid is just the second Jayhawk to be named the NBA MVP, joining KU legend Wilt Chamberlain who won the honor four times – 1960, 1966, 1967, and 1968.

A six-time NBA All-Star, Embiid is in his seventh season playing for the Philadelphia 76ers and his ninth season overall with the organization. Embiid, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, played at KU in the 2013-14 season. In addition to his six All-Star games, Embiid is a four-time All-NBA honoree and has been named to the NBA All-Defense Team four times.

Embiid led the 76ers to a 54-28 record and third-place finish in the 2022-23 Eastern Conference regular season. The 76ers are currently in the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Boston Celtics.

On the season, Embiid led the NBA in scoring average at 33.1 points per game. He also finished tied for ninth in the NBA in rebounds per game, tallying 10.2 per contest. In 66 games played in the regular season, Embiid recorded 39 double-doubles. He also shot it efficiently on the season, shooting 54.8% from the field, 33.0% from the 3-point territory, and 85.7% from the free-throw line.

While at Kansas, Embiid played in 28 games and started 20. In his freshman season, the Yaounde, Cameroon native averaged 11.2 points and 8.1 rebounds, while racking in several awards after his season. Embiid was named the 2014 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and was an All Big-12 Second Team selection. He was also named to the 2014 Big 12 Newcomer and Big 12 All-Defense teams.

Embiid set the record for most blocked shots in a single game as a freshman with eight blocked shots in a game against Oklahoma State. He also set the Kansas freshman record for most rebounds per game (8.1), most blocks in a single freshman season (72), and posted the highest field goal percentage in a freshman season at Kansas (62.6%).