Exclusive: "That guy's been dominating in the league; I think this year he got hosed a little bit!" - Former NBA and NCAA champion opens up on Joel Embiid missing out on back-to-back MVPs

A former NBA player and one-time champion was the guest on the first episode of Sportskeeda's "Inside the Huddle" podcast. Speaking to Sportskeeda's Jeff Skversky, Marreese Spreights said that Joel Embiid should have been named the league MVP last season.

Skversky asked Speights regarding his observation on Embiid losing back-to-back NBA MVPs to Nikola Jokic. The Florida product believes the Philadelphia 76ers star deserved to win the trophy last season. He also said that Embiid played AAU basketball near him in Florida.

"Yeah, for sure. Great kid. He kind of grew up down here in my area," Speights said. "Played for AAU team Florida Rams that Matt (Ramker) was running. I kinda see him when he was younger."

He continued:

"That guy has been dominating the league; I think this year he got hosed a little bit, but it is what it is. That's what happens sometimes. Got to play big, strong, athletic. Maybe injuries or something. At the end of the day, he's going to get one though."

Joel Embiid was born and raised in Cameroon before moving to the United States when he was 16. Embiid played for Montverde Academy and The Rock School, where he became a five-star recruit. Meanwhile, Speights is a native of St. Petersburg, which is about a two-hour drive from Embiid's place.

The five-time All-Star played college ball in Kansas and was drafted third overall in 2014. After two years on the sidelines, he made his debut in 2016 and quickly became one of the best big men in the game. He came in second in MVP voting in the last two seasons.

Marreese Speights on how different Warriors are from other NBA teams

Marreese Speights is an NBA and NCAA champion.

Marreese Speights spent three seasons with the Golden State Warriors. Speights helped the Warriors win the championship in 2015.

He's also a part of the Golden State roster that won 73 games in the regular season. In his three years with the Warriors, Speights gained the nickname "Mo Buckets" for his ability to score in bunches off the bench.

Speights had his best season with Golden State in 2015. He averaged 10.4 points and 4.3 rebounds, while also coming in seventh in the Sixth Man of the Year voting.

On Sportskeeda's "Inside the Huddle" podcast, Speights also discussed what it's like to play for the Warriors and how different they are from other NBA teams.

"That franchise over there is all about the players," Speights said. "From the owners to the GM to the head coach, those guys are a special group because they are so smart. None of them got egos, all of them is about the system; it's about winning."

He continued:

"All of them making all these money, but at the end of the day, you'll be around them — all about is one goal, and that is winning."