The NBA postseason games are up and running in full swing, with teams competing in the Semifinals. Amid the fierce battle, the league announced this season’s Most Valuable Player; the Philadelphia 76ers star, Joel Embiid. Following the announcement, appreciation flowed in from various NBA legends like Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, and Charles Barkley. Notably, the Sixers star became the first recipient of the Michael Jordan MVP trophy.

Embiid was up against the 2x reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Cameroonian star had a tremendous season, averaging a league-high 33.1 points per game. Moreover, he stopped Jokic from winning his 3rd MVP award on the trot. 

NBA Legends celebrate Joel Embiid 

Moreover, he retweeted his own tweet from 2014 which read, “MVP rankings in a couple years,” with an image of him topping the superstars of the game in the ranking. He retweeted and wrote, “SPOKE IT INTO EXISTENCE.” 

However, the celebration didn’t end there, as the legends pitched in with their appreciation. Los Angeles Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal shared the video clip of Embiid’s reaction to the announcement on his Instagram story.

Following Shaq, Magic Johnson took to Twitter and penned a gracious appreciation to the star. The tweet read, “Congratulations to Joel Embiid for being named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player!! Well deserved and earned! @JoelEmbiid.”

Apart from these legends, James Harden and Trae Young congratulated the 29-year-old as well.

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Moreover, Charles Barkley took the privilege of announcing the winner of the award on TNT in front of the MVP trophy. After the announcement, he greeted the star on live TV and wished him luck for the upcoming games. 

The Sixers stunned the Celtics without the MVP

The Sixers star got a week’s rest after sweeping the 1st round series against the Brooklyn Nets. Despite his absence in Game 4, the team managed to win in Brooklyn to complete the sweep. However, the Sixers weren’t expected to walk into Boston and win Game 1 without the Cameroonian International.

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The Sixers managed to overcome the Celtics on the back of a huge James Harden performance. With Embiid expected to return in the upcoming games, Philly will be licking their lips, hoping to make the Conference Finals.

What do you make of Joel Embiid’s scoring spree in the regular season? Will he make the same impact in the playoffs? Let us know in the comments below.