J.J. Redick’s MVP vote still isn’t sitting well with Philadelphia 76ers fans, and now some of them are letting him hear about it.
The former Sixers guard said in an episode of his podcast “The Old Man and the Three” on April 10 that he was picking against Philly center Joel Embiid for MVP, instead casting his ballot for Milwaukee Bucks big man Giannis Antetokounmpo. The decision earned some scorn from Sixers fans, including some who confronted Redick at the team’s playoff game on Saturday.
“At least three Sixers fan walked by JJ Redick during pregame talking smack,” tweeted Sixers beat writer Keith Pompey. “They were vocal because Redick voted for The Greek Freak instead of Sixers center Joel Embiid for MVP. Redick is a former Sixer and friend of Embiid’s.”
J.J. Redick Explained Reason to Pick Against Joel Embiid
Even though Embiid became the MVP favorite by the end of the season, Redick explained that he felt obligated to pick the best player from the best team — which meant the big man from the top overall seed in the Eastern Conference.
“The Giannis thing is interesting because I don’t think he’s going to win, but I think he’s the MVP this season,” Redick said. “The more I thought about it and the more I tried to talk myself out of it, I just couldn’t do it. He’s the best player on the best team and the best win percentage of all three guys.”
Here’s my MVP vote. New Old Man and the Three things today- no paywall for this episode. It’s available to all. We talk thru all my end of season awards voting.
Redick also referenced Embiid’s difficulties in advancing in the playoffs, remarks that irked some Sixers fans. Many pushed back against Redick’s comments, noting that the former NBA sharpshooter played a role in some of those playoff exits.
“JJ Redick having the audacity to bring up Joel’s second round exits when his traffic cone defense was what was getting exploited in those exits is truly incredible levels of lacking self awareness,” one critic shared on Twitter.
Joel Embiid Named MVP Finalist
Embiid was named one of the three finalists for the league MVP award, joining Antetokounmpo and Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic. Embiid has made a strong case for the honor after leading the league in scoring for the second straight season, averaging 33.1 points to go along with 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.
Though Embiid appeared to have a lead in the publicly cast votes so far — Harrison Grimm of SB Nation’s Liberty Ballers pointed out that Embiid had 26 of the 37 votes made public through April 13 — it could still be a tight race. Jokic finished ahead of Embiid in the final edition of the NBA.com’s Kia MVP Ladder.
While he often put off questions about the MVP race during the year, Embiid said in an interview with Rachel Nichols that he wants to take home the honor.
“One thing I’ll say is that if people tell you that they don’t care about it, they’re lying,” Embiid said. “That’s the best award you can get as a basketball player. It means a lot. If I were to win it, it would validate all the work that I put in. That’s why I cared about it, because you put in so much work, and if you get that recognition, it just validates that you didn’t waste your time.”
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Sixers Fans Confronted JJ Redick Over Joel Embiid Remarks: Report