Joel Embiid does not think that the City of Brotherly Love gets enough brotherly love from the media.
The Philadelphia 76ers star made some interesting comments this week in response to this year’s MVP race. Embiid said that it can be attributed to bias against him or bias against athletes in Philly if he does not win MVP.
“If it happens, great,” said Embiid of winning the award, per ESPN. “If it doesn’t, I don’t know what I have to do. I’ll feel like they hate me. I feel like the standard for guys in Philly or for me is different than everyone else.”
Embiid, who has yet to win MVP in his career but is a frontrunner this year, scored 44 points in a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday. If Embiid fails to take home the award, it might not necessarily mean something more sinister is at hand. Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is having a top-flight season too and without a James Harden to ease his load thanks to Denver’s injuries. Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks is also roughly on par with Embiid in terms of both individual numbers and team record.
For what it’s worth, there have been four total NBA MVPs from Philadelphia teams (Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, and Allen Iverson). Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper also just won the National League MVP in baseball this past season. That being said, Embiid is probably not the only one who thinks that athletes in the city have it tough.
Photo: Nov 27, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) warms up before action against the Sacramento Kings at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
