Joel Embiid Loses MVP Race To Nikola Jokic Again: Report

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Momentum and rumors that seemed to be carrying Joel Embiid to his first ever NBA MVP award have gone up in smoke.

Philadelphia's transcendent big man has finished second, for the second year in a row, to Nikola Jokic, according to a report from ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Jokic and Embiid also finished 1-2 in the MVP voting in 2021.

The news reignited debate over what constitutes the "most valuable" contribution made to a team. The Sixers have struggled mightily without Embiid on the court and are among the NBA's best with him, as evidenced by how they've turned around the playoff series with the Miami Heat since he returned from a facial fracture.

Embiid was the league's overall leading scorer, although Jokic scored stronger on some of the analytics used by voters, like win shares.

"A formal announcement is expected this week," Wojnarowski added.