Could you have even imagined just two months ago? Picture this: you're squeezed into a chaotic media scrum in the Miami locker room, and right in front of you, there sits a giant of a man, Joel Embiid, sporting a huge smile, a hoodie, and a towel wrapped around his waist.
"I didn't have to come back, but I want to play," he says, fresh off the Sixers' 109-105 victory over the Miami Heat, only his second game back after left knee surgery. "I love playing basketball," he adds, "and I want to be on the floor."
Think about it - the sheer dominance Embiid has displayed on the court and the accolades missed due to his 41-game absence with injuries and ailments. According to the NBA's rules, players must take part in at least 65 games to qualify for regular-season awards like the MVP. Sadly, the 7-foot-2, 280-pound center isn't eligible for a second consecutive MVP because of this.
His impressive averages of 34.8 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in just 33.9 minutes per game aren't recognized among the league leaders since he hasn't played in at least 70% of the Sixers' games. It's understandable but disheartening to see such dominance go unnoticed.
Yet, Embiid seems to be in a better place now, a comfort he hasn't felt in a while. He recently opened up about battling depression after tearing his meniscus in January, but being back on the court with his teammates has helped him immensely.
Flashback to two months ago, when there was immense pressure on him to deliver Chamberlain-esque performances to carry the Sixers to victory. There were debates about who the best center in the league was and who truly deserved the MVP title. Despite winning the award by a large margin last season, critics argued that Nikola Jokić was more deserving after leading the Denver Nuggets to the 2023 NBA title.
Embiid had a stellar performance against Jokić, scoring 41 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in a 126-121 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 16. However, Nuggets fans and some in the media speculated that he skipped the Jan. 27 game against the Nuggets to avoid facing Jokić at high altitude, not knowing the severity of his knee issues.
With Embiid out of the MVP race, Jokić is now the favorite to win his third MVP award in four seasons. Other contenders include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks, and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Fast forward to late Thursday night, when Embiid was surrounded by media, microphones, and cameras. In a 7-minute, 25-second media session, he was asked about the MVP race. "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."
He went on to say, "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 didn't directly answer the question, his response hinted that Embiid might actually be at peace since his return on Tuesday.
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