Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Getty
Nikola Jokic #15 of Team LeBron and Joel Embiid #21.
As the Philadelphia 76ers battled against the Denver Nuggets in Colorado on Tuesday, March 18, Joel Embiid remained sidelined with an oblique injury.
Although the veteran center was in the building for the team’s game against Nikola Jokic, Embiid had to hear it from the home crowd once again, as his long streak of not playing in Denver continued.
While the idea of an often-injured player missing the one chance to play in an arena every season for several years isn’t that big of a deal, the fact that Embiid and Jokic were MVP contenders for multiple years stirred up a lot of controversy from fans and media narratives.
At the end of the day, the two MVP-winning bigs have a lot of respect for each other. Fans were reminded of that fact when Embiid and Jokic shared a postgame moment following Tuesday’s game.
Hoop Central
Nikola Jokic & Joel Embiid —
Nothing but respect. ✊ 🤝
(via @NBAonNBC)
Nikola Jokic And Joel Embiid Have A Moment—NBA Fans React
GettyNikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets is guarded by Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at the Wells Fargo Center on January 16, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
@HarrisMooreMM: Respect to both of them 🫡
@marcustalks0: Legendary rivalry
@mckidok: Scenes we love to see, beautiful display of sportsmanship and bromance
@blackveron: The game recognise the game. Beautiful to see Both players showing their respects.
Embiid and Jokic last faced each other in January 2024.
At the time, the Sixers came away with a 126-121 victory. Embiid shot 59% from the field to score 41 points. He logged a double-double with 10 assists and also added seven rebounds to his line.
On the other side, Jokic had a slower offensive showing than usual, scoring 25 points and producing just three assists. However, he collected a game-high 19 rebounds.
Prior to that game, Jokic and Embiid met in January 2023. Once again, Embiid dropped over 40 points, collecting a double-double with 18 rebounds, while sealing a Sixers’ 126-119 victory.
In the rare head-to-head battles, Embiid tends to find the edge. When it comes to overall success, Jokic’s current resume has him beat.
@HanaHoops: Everyone online has been trying to pit these two against each other for years when they have nothing but respect for each other!
@GALSENFREAK91: Their 3 years stretch of MVP battle was special, we took it for granted…
@hoodiefab: ngl i miss the prime embiid jokic days. my favorite opps 😭
@millerfamily12: You don’t know you’re in the good ole days untill it’s gone. Those Biid-Jokic wars on the TL everyday from 20’-24’ were magical man.
Comparing Careers
Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic
GettyNuggets star Nikola Jokic won the 2021 NBA MVP award over Sixers center Joel Embiid.
Embiid, 32, has created a Hall of Fame-worthy career despite the injury concerns he faced from the beginning. He is three-times All-Defensive, five-times All-NBA, a seven-time All-Star, two-time NBA scoring champion, and the 2023 NBA MVP.
Throughout his decade-long career, Embiid has posted averages of 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.6 blocks.
Nikola Jokic has played nearly double the number of games as Embiid. His ability to stay healthy and dominant has generated more opportunities to garner major recognition across the league.
Throughout his career, Jokic has averaged 22.2 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 7.4 assists.
His accolades include seven All-NBA nods, eight All-Star appearances, and three MVP awards. Jokic also led the Nuggets to an MVP Finals win, where he was named the MVP of the series in 2023.
Tuesday’s 124-96 Nuggets win over the Embiid-less Sixers was the second and final meeting between the two teams this season. Since Jokic missed the January outing, the postgame moment between the star bigs is all anybody gets this year in terms of seeing them share the court this season.