Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid, the Cameroonian All-Star, has become only the second African to win the NBA MVP honors. Hakeem Olajuwon from the Houston Rockets won it for the 1993-1994 season.
Embiid said he never predicted his future in the NBA when he began playing, and being able to become an MVP was a far-fetched idea for him.
Despite facing extraordinary odds, Embiid never gave up on his dreams. “The probability of someone like me you know, started playing basketball at 15, to get the chance to be the MVP of the league is, I’d say, negative-zero,” he said. He went on to say that there are limited opportunities back in Africa in general to achieve such success.
Embiid has had a remarkable career so far and has been a significant influence on his team’s success. This year, he led the Sixers to their third straight Eastern Conference semi-final, where they led the Boston Celtics 1-0 ahead of Wednesday’s Game 2.
Embiid’s career almost never took off as he almost quit the sport months after being drafted third overall in 2014 when his younger brother died in a car accident. “I felt like it was kind of my fault because I left Cameroon, I left, you know, my family. I felt like I should have been there to do something,” said Embiid, who missed the first two seasons of his career with a broken foot.
Embiid’s perseverance has been exceptional, and he hopes to be a role model to others. “I’m just glad that I pushed through it and I’m here sitting in front of you guys having accomplished something that a lot of people don’t get the opportunity to,” he said.
The NBA season has been full of excitement and surprises, and the race for the MVP was fierce. Embiid, who came second in MVP voting to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in the last two seasons, produced an undeniable MVP campaign this time around, averaging a career-high 33.1 points per game, with 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
Embiid’s victory is a testament to his hard work and dedication, and he is a true inspiration to many.
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