Joel Embiid is a professional basketball player and NBA All-Star. This Cameroonian athlete currently plays for the Philadelphia 76ers in the center position.
He began playing basketball when he was 15 years old and modeled his playing technique after Hakeem Olajuwon. When he moved to the United States a year later, he attended Montverde Academy and then transferred to The Rock School. He led the team to the state championship. He was one of the contenders for the Naismith College Player of the Year while attending the University of Kansas.
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
| Team |
Philadelphia 76ers
|
| Position | Center |
| Height / weight | 2.13 m / 127 kg |
| Born | 16 Mar 1994 |
| Nationality |
Cameroon
|
| Nickname | The Process |
| Team History | |
|
Philadelphia
|
2014 - present |
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 definitely 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 as Eastern Conference Player of the Week for 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 season after an exceptional year averaging 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. He won the award ahead of Nikola Jokic, who had won it in the previous two seasons.
Career Accomplishments:
• NBA MVP (2023)• NBA Scoring Champion (2022 - 2023)• NBA All-Star (2018 - 2023)• All-NBA First Team (2023)• All-NBA Second Team (2018-2019, 2021-2022)• NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2018, 2019, 2021)• NBA All-Rookie First Team (2017)• 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 (2014)
