Allen Iverson's Reaction to Joel Embiid Winning NBA's Scoring Title

Joel Embiid solidified his spot at the top of the NBA in scoring. Last weekend, the Philadelphia 76ers' big man was in the top three when it came to points per
Allen Iverson's Reaction to Joel Embiid Winning NBA's Scoring Title
Allen Iverson's Reaction to Joel Embiid Winning NBA's Scoring Title /

Joel Embiid solidified his spot at the top of the NBA in scoring. Last weekend, the Philadelphia 76ers' big man was in the top three when it came to points per game. 

When the Sixers needed a notable performance from their All-Star big man last Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers so they could clinch their spot in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Embiid delivered with a 44-point performance.

Two nights later, he followed up with another monster performance against the Indiana Pacers as Embiid put up 45 points.

While the Sixers struggled to come out on top against the Toronto Raptors last Thursday night, Embiid still got his points as he produced 30 in 37 minutes.

At that point, Embiid led the NBA in scoring with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James behind him and Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo in third.

Since James was ruled out for the rest of the season due to a sprained ankle, he was deemed ineligible to win the NBA's scoring title this year. And as Antetokounmpo trailed Embiid by over one point, he would've needed a monster game on Sunday to surpass Philly's big man.

But Antetokounmpo wasn't cleared for action as he was battling knee soreness on Sunday. Therefore, Embiid officially won the NBA's scoring title for the first time in his career. He became the first big man to win the scoring title since NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal did it back in 1999-2000.

Allen Iverson Shows Support

Sixers legend Allen Iverson was in attendance at the Wells Fargo Center on Sunday night watching his former team take on the Detroit Pistons for the season finale. As he navigated through the arena, the former superstar guard caught up with NBC Sports Philadelphia's John Clark and showed support for Embiid.

"Congratulations, man! Good for you. I know you're happy that you accomplished something like that, but I know you know that you couldn't have did it without your teammates and your coaching staff, and the fans, man. We all support you and we love you and good luck in the future baby."

As a winner of four NBA scoring titles himself, Iverson knows exactly what it takes to accomplish such a difficult, yet rewarding accolade throughout a long season. Now, he's happy to see another face of his former franchise carry the torch.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.


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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA