Wednesday, May 10, the NBA announced the players who made the 2022-23 all NBA teams. Among those honored was reigning MVP Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers. In addition to Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, Luka Doncić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were also named to the first team.
This marks the first time Embiid has been named to the first team, and the fifth All-NBA team he’s made throughout his career. The presence of the Sixers’ superstar is not a surprise as he notably won the 2022-23 MVP award earlier this month and has now accolade to add to his already impressive career.
After averaging 33.1 points per game along with 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game for the Sixers, Embiid took home the inaugural Michael Jordan MVP trophy.
Despite this, only Giannis Antetokounmpo was unanimously named to the first team. Though, that should not be seen as a slight against Embiid as Nikola Jokić, the player who came in second in MVP voting, plays the same position, and according to the NBA’s archaic voting rules, both Embiid and Jokić could not make the first team.
Joel Embiid now joins an incredibly talented list of Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Allen Iverson, Moses Malone, Charles Barkley, George McGinnis, Billy Cunningham, and Dolph Schayes as the only members if the Sixers who have been named to the first-team All-NBA.
He has the MVP, he’s been named to the All-NBA First Team, now all he has to do is finish the job with his Sixers and win the 2023 NBA Championship and Finals MVP to complete the year of Joel Embiid.
