Joel Embiid Tears Up As He Reflects On Fatherhood In Emotional NBA MVP Speech

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid got emotional as his 2-year-old son, Arthur, rushed to him and into his arms while the NBA player accepted this season’s Most Valuable Player award on Friday.

Embiid, who spoke before the Sixers’ second-round playoff game against the Boston Celtics, gave a shoutout to his son before he watched the toddler run across the court to greet him.

“Honestly, he’s the main reason why I’m really here,” Embiid said as he held Arthur and stood alongside his mother, Christine.

“Becoming a father changed my whole life and I just wanted to show him a good example and I’m glad he is here with us and my fiancée is a big part of it, too,” he added.

Embiid’s MVP honor made him the first player ever to win the Michael Jordan Trophy since the league renamed the MVP trophy ahead of the 2022-23 season. 

The Sixers’ star beat the likes of two former two-time MVP winners for the award this year: Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Joki.

Embiid, a two-time scoring champion in the league, ended the regular season with averages of 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists a game. He’s the first 76ers player to be named MVP since Allen Iverson took home the award in 2001.

Embiid recently returned from a knee injury in the second game of the Sixers’ series against the Celtics. However, his squad fell to Boston on Friday and now trail 2-1 in the series ahead of their next game on Sunday.

You can watch Embiid’s full speech below.