The conclusion of the NBA regular season heats up discussion around individual player awards, with MVP taking center stage in the constant debate. Now, Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry has chimed in with his selection.
Curry is no stranger to the award, having won back-to-back MVP’s in 2015 and 2016. In an interview with Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, the 35-year-old believes Joel Embiid is a worthy first-time winner.
Was Stephen Curry’s choice of Joel Embiid as NBA MVP made with an eye to the future, and the potential of the pair teaming up at the Golden State Warriors?
Embiid and reigning back-to-back winner Nikola Jokic have been the clear two favorites over the final period of the season, with another two-time winner, Giannis Antetokounmpo, making a late but unlikely charge. Curry wasn’t about to sit on the fence though, backing in the Philadelphia big man.
"“I would say Joel. Any person you pick, their body of work could be compared to Jokić or Giannis. But Joel took a leap that I think a lot of people didn’t expect because he was dominant already. That leap turned heads and put Philly in a great position. If I had to pick, it would be him”, Curry said."
The Embiid to the Warriors Woj notification gonna go crazy https://t.co/t5W0ZopLKr
— Josh🦇 (@DarkKnightGFX) April 4, 2023
Speculation about Embiid’s future has ebbed and flowed over recent years, with the thought of he and Curry playing together a tantalizing prospect for Warrior fans. The 29-year-old has put the 76ers in a prime position to attack the playoffs, leading them to a 51-27 record with four games to play.
However, Embiid and Philadelphia have been in this situation before only to routinely falter in extremely disappointing fashion. Despite being a dominant presence over the last five seasons, Embiid is yet to reach even the Conference Finals.
If he and James Harden were to fall on their face again this postseason, then conversation on their futures are sure to spark almost immediately. Harden can be an unrestricted free agent this offseason, and despite being contracted for another three seasons with the option of a fourth, Embiid could be the next superstar to demand a trade.
Curry wouldn’t have made his pick with the future at the forefront of his mind, rather the Embiid selection is a widely-held view that’s likely to play out correctly. But who knows, perhaps there was a subconscious factor at play, with the idea of the two together an intriguing prospect.