BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 01: Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers looks on during the second half against the Boston Celtics in game one of the Eastern Conference Second Round Playoffs at TD Garden on May 01, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

76ers' Joel Embiid: I Said I Didn't Care About MVP So Media Would 'Leave Me Alone'

Doric SamMay 3, 2023

After Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was named NBA MVP for the first time in his career this week, he admitted that he was being facetious when he said he didn't care about the award.

Embiid told reporters Wednesday that he was just hoping to avoid questions from the media about the possibility of winning it:

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After a win over the Dallas Mavericks in March, Embiid was asked about his thoughts on the MVP race and he said: "I don't care. It's all about the playoffs."

He changed his tune last month, telling Rachel Nichols on an episode of Headliners With Rachel Nichols, "One thing I'll say is that if people tell you they don't care about it, they're lying."

Embiid is reportedly expected to return to the lineup for Wednesday's Game 2 against the Boston Celtics after missing Philadelphia's Game 1 victory with a knee injury.