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1-Time NBA MVP Reacts to Shohei Ohtani’s Major Accomplishment

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid reacted to Shohei Ohtani's big night on social media.

Justin Grasso

Sep 19, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts to a standing ovation from the fans after hitting his 50th home run of the season against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Sep 19, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts to a standing ovation from the fans after hitting his 50th home run of the season against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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The baseball world anticipated LA Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani making history on Thursday.

Apparently, so did Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid.

As the Dodgers put together a dominant performance against the Miami Marlins on Thursday night, Ohtani became the first player in history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season.

Embiid, who was tuned in, took to X to react to Ohtani’s latest accomplishment.

“Yup Ohtani is the GOAT.”

The 76ers big man has always issued fellow superstars credit when it’s due. And when he’s not the court making history himself while playing for the Sixers, Embiid enjoys watching other sports and appreciating the sports world as a whole.

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Soon, Embiid will be back on the floor after taking some time off following a busy summer. After returning from a knee injury late in the 2023-2024 NBA season, the 76ers center’s team came up short against the New York Knicks in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

Although Embiid was dealing with multiple setbacks throughout the playoff run, he was back on the court just a couple of months later to compete for Team USA in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Philly’s star big man earned himself a gold medal, adding another impressive accomplishment to his resume.

Like Ohtani, Embiid is a multi-time All-Star in his sport. Next season, Embiid will be working on attempting to collect his second MVP nod while hoping to lead the Sixers to the NBA’s biggest stage in 2025. Next month, Embiid and the Sixers will be getting to work, soon firing up their journey for the new hoops year.

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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

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