Joel Embiid Appreciates MVP Chants in LA After Win Over Clippers

As the 2021-2022 NBA season winds down, the race for the MVP award is in its final stretch as well. Like the past couple of seasons, there isn't a clear-cut

As the 2021-2022 NBA season winds down, the race for the MVP award is in its final stretch as well. Like the past couple of seasons, there isn't a clear-cut frontrunner for the award. As the NBA has seen many players thrive throughout the year, there are several candidates that have a good case to take the hardware home.

Count Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid in as one of those prospects. Just like last season, Embiid is a strong contender for the award. Last season, when the Sixers reached the All-Star break, Embiid was widely viewed as the favorite.

However, a post-All-Star break injury sidelined him for ten games. Considering he missed chunks of playing time before that, Embiid's lack of availability at times hurt his case as Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic stayed healthy last year and dominated.

Embiid and Jokic were the two finalists, but the Nuggets center won the award. This season, they are both in the MVP race once again, but Embiid's health is keeping up, which leads many to believe that the Sixers star could finally win.

When playing at home in front of Sixers fans, Embiid receives tons of love as MVP chants get loud when he's at the free-throw line. But the MVP love for Embiid goes beyond South Philly. Earlier this year, when the Sixers played on the road in Washington DC, Embiid received tons of MVP chants.

And after the Sixers defeated the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night on the road, Embiid received the same kind of love when he was walking off the court.

Feeling the Love

The crowd is chanting “MVP MVP MVP” as Embiid walked off the floor following the #Sixers’ 122-97 win

— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) March 26, 2022

"It's a blessing," said Embiid. "You know, I haven't won one. It feels like I'm close. I'm just really focused on finishing the season strong and making sure that we go into the playoffs with the right mindset. But it's always appreciated. Like I said, it's a blessing, and I love it, but that's not really our focus. We got a chance to win. So, we gotta go out there every single night and find ways to help the team win games." 

Embiid's night ended early on Friday. After checking in for 27 minutes, he got the rest of the night off as he scored 27 points off of 19 shots and eight free throws. With another big win on the road, Embiid and the Sixers advanced to 46-27 on the year and continue climbing the Eastern Conference rankings.

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