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Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler Endorses 76ers' Joel Embiid for MVP

Jimmy Butler gives Joel Embiid his props after the 76ers defeated the Celtics.
Justin Grasso|
Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler Endorses 76ers' Joel Embiid for MVP
Miami Heat's Jimmy Butler Endorses 76ers' Joel Embiid for MVP

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Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid has received tons of support from notable players around the NBA regarding his status as the league’s potential MVP this season. Former Sixers forward and current Miami Heat standout Jimmy Butler is the latest to support Embiid in the race.

"Joel's the MVP," Butler told reporters after Miami’s win over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night, according to Bleacher Report. "He should've been MVP last year too."

Last season, Embiid was named an NBA MVP finalist for the second-straight season. And for the second time, Embiid was voted runner-up, losing out to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.

Embiid is once again battling against Jokic and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo for the award. While the Sixers’ center fell out of favor last week after missing the Monday night matchup against Jokic and the Nuggets due to calf tightness, Embiid is back on top after a dominant 52-point performance against the Celtics on Tuesday.

After the game, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers declared the MVP race should be over. Several of Embiid’s Sixers teammates echoed the same sentiment, which then led Embiid to agree with his team’s remarks.

“They’re probably right,” said Embiid. 

While Embiid added that the Sixers have “bigger goals in mind” beyond his MVP campaign, it’s becoming increasingly clear that members of the NBA, including Butler, view Embiid as the league’s most valuable. Now, it’s up to the voters to see it. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

MORE SIXERS NEWS

MVP Race Is Over: Doc Rivers wasn’t too pleased with his team’s performance against the Celtics on Tuesday night, but he did make one thing clear; the MVP race should be over and the award should go to 76ers’ center, Joel Embiid. READ MORE

Steph Curry Picks Embiid: Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry is one the latest NBA stars to publicly endorse Joel Embiid for NBA MVP. Earlier this week, Curry explained why he believes Embiid should take home the hardware for the first time this season. READ MORE

Not All Great: Despite a monster performance from Joel Embiid on Tuesday night in the win over the Celtics, the big man claimed that his team still has a lot of work to do before they take on their playoff journey. READ MORE

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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