Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid is a professional basketball player from Cameroon. He plays in the National Basketball Association for the Philadelphia 76ers. In 2023, he was named the National Basketball Player Most Valuable Player. He has also been named an NBA All-Star six times since 2018.

Player Profile and Personal Life

Joel Hans Embiid was born on March 16, 1994, in Yaoundé, Cameroon. He stands 213 cm tall and his weight was last listed at 127 kg. He shoots with his right and he plays center. Embiid was born in Cameroon. By 2023, he had become an American citizen and he had also received French citizenship.

He has gone by nicknames JoJo, The Process, Do-a-180, Troel, and The Phantom of the Process.

He began playing basketball when he was 15 years old and modeled his playing technique after Hakeem Olajuwon.

Since 2018, he has been in a relationship with model Anne de Paula. They had their first child in 2020 and they married in 2023.

High School and College Career

He attended Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. He also went on to attend The Rock School in Gainesville, Florida.

Later, he committed to play for the University of Kansas and was there from 2013 to 2014.

In 2014, he was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Big 12 All-Defensive Team, and the Big 12 All-Newcomer Team. While in college, he was also a contender for the Naismith College Player of the Year.

Professional Career

He was the third overall pick, selected by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2014 NBA Draft.

This made him the highest-selected Cameroonian player in the league’s history. He missed the entire 2014 to 2016 Season due to an injury.

In the 2016 to 2017 Season, he recorded his first career double-double in a game against the Orlando Magic. He was also named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for several instances. However, a knee injury led to him being ruled out for the rest of the season.

When he came back in the next season, his performance had improved. He scored a career-high 40 points and was selected to become a starter for the 2018 NBA All-Star Game. Embiid was also named Eastern Conference Player of the Week several times. He was instrumental in helping the 76ers move into the second round of the playoffs.

The 76ers endured a frustrating few years, where reaching the Conference Finals eluded them, while Embiid was MVP runner-up, before claiming the individual award in the 2022-23.

He was also named an NBA All-Star in 2023, the 8th time in a row that he was named so in his career.

Career Highlights

• 2023 - NBA Most Valuable Player
• 2018–2023 - NBA All-Star
• 2023 - All-NBA First Team
• 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 - All-NBA Second Team
• 2018, 2019, 2021 - NBA All-Defensive Second Team
• 2022, 2023 - NBA scoring champion
• 2017 - NBA All-Rookie First Team
• 2014 - Second-team All-Big 12
• 2014 - Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year
• 2014 - Big 12 All-Defensive Team
• 2014 - Big 12 All-Newcomer Team