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Joel Embiid was finally named MVP this season and received the award on Friday ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers' game against the Boston Celtics. Embiid's parents were present when the Michael Jordan MVP trophy was handed to him in front of a raucous Philly crowd.
The newly-crowned MVP was born on March 16, 1994, in Yaounde, Cameroon to parents Thomas and Christine Embiid. His father, Thomas, was a military officer with a colonel ranking and a former professional handball player in Cameroon.
Meanwhile, Christine is currently running her son's Arthur Embiid and Angels Foundation. It's dedicated to the memory of Joel's younger brother, Arthur, who passed away in a car accident in Cameroon at the age of 13 back in 2014.
Joel Embiid grew up playing volleyball and soccer, and never intended to pursue basketball. Thomas wanted his son to play volleyball because it would not stop his education. On the other hand, Christine had hoped for Joel to become a doctor when he was growing up.
The Philadelphia 76ers superstar went on to thank his parents following the news that he was crowned MVP. He was jokingly angry at his dad for not letting him play basketball earlier in life while revealing that his mom only cares about his health.
"My parents, they've been here from the beginning," Joel said. "I'm still kind of pissed at my dad because he didn’t let me start playing basketball until 15. Who knows what I could've been if I had started earlier. But he made the right decision. Everything happens for a reason.
"My mom, she doesn't really care about all of this. She just wants me to be healthy and be able to do what I love. So they've been a big part of it."
Joel Embiid becomes the fifth MVP in Philadelphia 76ers franchise history
Joel Embiid finally won the MVP award after coming up short to Nikola Jokic in the past two seasons. Embiid became the fifth player in Philadelphia 76ers history to lift the award and the first since 2001.
Wilt Chamberlain won MVP three times during his career with the Sixers. Julius "Dr. J" Erving was the league's MVP in 1981, while teammate Moses Malone won it two years later.
Allen Iverson was the last Sixer to win MVP before Embiid's coronation on Friday. Chamberlain won a championship in Philly, while Erving and Malone won the team's last title in 1983. Iverson brought the Sixers to the NBA Finals in 2001, so it remains to be seen how far Embiid will bring his team in the playoffs.
