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Joel Embiid Receives MVP Chants in Orlando vs. Magic

The Philadelphia 76ers hit the road once again on Wednesday night after returning home for a game against the Houston Rockets on Monday.  Although the Sixers

Justin Grasso

Joel Embiid Receives MVP Chants in Orlando vs. Magic
Joel Embiid Receives MVP Chants in Orlando vs. Magic /

The Philadelphia 76ers hit the road once again on Wednesday night after returning home for a game against the Houston Rockets on Monday. 

Although the Sixers were away from home, Philly's superstar center Joel Embiid probably couldn't tell as he received tons of love from the crowd at the Amway Center on Wednesday.

It's no secret that Sixers fans tend to travel well. On Wednesday, that seemed to be the case once again, as Embiid was garnering noticeable chants in support of his MVP campaign this season while he was at the free-throw line.

According to Sixers Wire's Ky Carlin, Embiid received MVP chants in Orlando as he attempted foul shots in the first quarter of action. 

Hearing cheers on the road might be rare for Embiid as he's created tons of enemies over the years, but it's not new. Just last season, the Sixers center received MVP chants during Philly's first-round playoff series on the road against the Washington Wizards. 

Unfortunately, Embiid's MVP campaign wasn't successful. While he was in the conversation all the way until the votes were finalized, the Sixers center was named the runner-up as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic won the award.

This season, Embiid is looking to get on track to insert himself back in the MVP conversation. Earlier this year, Embiid got off to a slower start than usual, which didn't help generate traction behind his MVP campaign this year.

However, Embiid is turning things around. After getting his rhythm back following a battle with COVID-19, Embiid's been one of the NBA's hottest players. 

On Tuesday, he was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for his performances in December. There's still a long way to go before the voting is finalized for this season, but it seems Embiid is drawing legitimate MVP hype once again.

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

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