Kendrick Perkins Wants NBA Fans to Show More Respect to Sixers' Joel Embiid

Last season, it was clear a big man would win the NBA's MVP award. Throughout the first half of the year, Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid were in a two-man race for the award.

Unfortunately, Embiid missed a significant chunk of games during the second half of the season, which gave Jokic a considerable boost in the voting since he was healthy and available for his team all season long.

While Jokic's health played a big part in helping him win the MVP award last year, nothing should've been taken away from Embiid, who dominated every time he touched the court.

Embiid might not be off to the same MVP start for the 2021-2022 NBA season, but lately, he's been turning his play up a notch.

Once again, the big man's battled through health issues this season as he dealt with several physical setbacks and a bad case of COVID-19, but as Embiid gets back on track, he's beginning to look like the MVP-caliber center we all saw last year.

And former NBA big man-turned-analyst Kendrick Perkins wants Embiid to have the same steady respect that Jokic garners on a nightly basis from NBA fans.

Kendrick Perkins Sounds Off

So we’re not going to talk about Joel “Big Philly” Embiid?! I mean every time I look up this man dropping 30 and 10 likes it’s normal. That same energy we have for Jokic… gotta make sure we keep that same level of energy for Embiid! Carry on…
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) December 29, 2021

Perkins' tweet came just after Embiid had another stellar performance for the Sixers on the road. On Sunday night against the Washington Wizards, Embiid led the charge for the Sixers as he scored 36 points in 30 minutes in Philly's 117-96 win over Washington.

Then on Tuesday, the Sixers hit the court once again to face the Toronto Raptors. As the Sixers defeated the Raptors 114-109, Embiid contributed to 36 points in 34 minutes with his sharpshooting from the field.

Embiid's 2021-2022 numbers don't mirror his MVP-caliber year, but they aren't too far off, though. While his field goal percentage dropped by five, Embiid is averaging just two fewer points per game this year. From deep, he's shooting slightly better while taking more shots. The big man isn't in the MVP conversation this season, but he still deserves a lot of credit for what he's able to do on a nightly basis.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.