Joel Embiid is one of the best players in the league today, and there’s no doubt that he showed it in his most recent outing against the Utah Jazz, where he ended up scoring 59 points.
Though Joel Embiid was clearly spectacular against the Jazz, he did resort to a little bit of trickery to increase his chances of winning. After the game, Embiid admitted that he lied to Lauri Markkanen while the forward was taking his free throws in the fourth quarter, saying that he had to “put his son Arthur to sleep.” Lauri Markkanen ended up missing both of those free throws late in the game, which sealed the Jazz’ fate.
Joel Embiid said he told Lauri Markkanen he had to put his son Arthur to sleep when he shot those free throws late in the first quarter, so he wanted him to miss to avoid overtime.
Embiid admitted he lied – he said Arthur is in bed every night at 7:30pm sharp.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) November 14, 2022
Joel Embiid said he told Lauri Markkanen he had to put his son Arthur to sleep when he shot those free throws late in the first quarter, so he wanted him to miss to avoid overtime. Embiid admitted he lied – he said Arthur is in bed every night at 7:30 pm sharp.
There’s no doubt that there was an element of gamesmanship involved in Joel Embiid’s decision. However, the Philadelphia 76ers were likely going to win that game at that point anyway.
Joel Embiid Is Playing Like An MVP Once Again Despite No Longer Caring About The Award
This season, Joel Embiid has been on a tear once again, and he is currently averaging 32.3 PPG, 10.1 RPG, and 4.1 APG. There’s no doubt that those are MVP-level numbers, and it wouldn’t be a surprise for him to win the award.
Previously though, Joel Embiid claimed that he doesn’t care about the MVP award anymore. He notably lost out on the MVP award to Nikola Jokic during the 2021-22 season.
“I don’t really care, but probably Defensive Player of the Year. The last two years I learned that it’s unfortunate for me because when it comes to legacy, I want to people to remember me as the best or one of the best players ever, as it’s unfortunate that nowadays you gotta win all these awards and it’s out of my hands. I don’t really care anymore. The first year I really care, last year, not as much. It would be nice [to win the MVP]; not a lot of people have that opportunity to win that or to be in that position. So, to be falling short, being second two years in a row, it sucks but it’s whatever. I believe in myself and the ultimate goal is to win a championship…”
Hopefully, we will see Joel Embiid get an MVP award before his career is over. He has certainly been in the conversation for the award but hasn’t been the clear-cut best player in the world.
As of right now, though, Joel Embiid is likely focused on getting back to the playoffs with the Philadelphia 76ers and carrying the team without James Harden. He has definitely been playing at a high level, and perhaps he will get that MVP award this year.
