Look, the 2022-23 NBA season was a total fever dream. If you were following the league back then, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The debate over who won mvp nba 2023 didn't just stay on the court; it spilled over into every corner of the internet, sparking arguments about "stat-padding," racial bias, and whether advanced metrics actually mean anything when a guy is dropping 50 points on your head.
Joel Embiid officially took home the hardware on May 2, 2023.
He didn't just win; he sort of steamrolled the final vote, finishing with 915 total points and 73 first-place votes. It was a massive moment for the Philadelphia 76ers big man. After finishing as the runner-up for two straight years to Nikola Jokic, Embiid finally broke through. But honestly, the "how" and the "why" behind that win are way more interesting than the trophy itself.
The Night the MVP Race Actually Ended
You can point to stats all day, but there was one specific Tuesday in April that changed everything. The Sixers were playing the Boston Celtics. Embiid went absolutely nuclear.
He finished that game with 52 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists. He shot 20-of-25 from the floor. Think about that for a second. In a professional basketball game against a top-tier defense, he missed five shots. Total.
After the buzzer, Sixers coach Doc Rivers looked at the media and basically said the race was over. He was right. That performance gave the voters a "narrative" moment that Nikola Jokic—who was having a statistically historic season—just didn't match in the final weeks. Jokic and the Nuggets kind of coasted into the playoffs, while Embiid was hunting.
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Breaking Down the Numbers: Embiid vs. Jokic vs. Giannis
To understand who won mvp nba 2023, you have to look at the three-headed monster that dominated the conversation. It was Embiid, Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Nobody else was even in the building.
Embiid’s case was built on raw, unadulterated dominance. He led the league in scoring for the second year in a row, putting up 33.1 points per game. He was a terrifying defensive presence, too. He wasn't just a "scoring champion"; he was a two-way force that anchored everything Philly did.
Then you had Nikola Jokic. The "Joker" was basically averaging a triple-double as a center. He had 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 9.8 assists. The advanced stats guys loved him. His Player Efficiency Rating (PER) and Win Shares were through the roof. But a lot of people felt "voter fatigue" was real. Giving a guy three MVPs in a row is something the league rarely does—only Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell have ever pulled it off.
Giannis was just Giannis. 31.1 points and 11.8 rebounds while leading the Bucks to the best record in the NBA. In almost any other year, he wins it. In 2023, he finished third.
The Final Voting Tally
It wasn't as close as people expected.
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- Joel Embiid: 915 points (73 first-place votes)
- Nikola Jokic: 674 points (15 first-place votes)
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: 606 points (12 first-place votes)
Jayson Tatum ended up in the fourth spot, but he was lightyears behind the top three in terms of actual points.
Why the 2023 MVP remains controversial
If you go on Reddit today and ask about the 2023 MVP, you’re going to start a fight. Some fans argue that Jokic was "robbed" because he eventually went on to win the NBA Finals and the Finals MVP that same year.
There's this weird thing that happens with the MVP award where people use the playoffs to retroactively decide if someone deserved a regular-season award. Since the 76ers got bounced in the second round and Embiid struggled with a knee injury, the "he didn't deserve it" crowd got very loud.
But the award is for the 82 games of the regular season. Period. During those 82 games, Embiid was a monster. He had three different 50-point games. He had that legendary 59-point, 11-rebound, 8-assist, 7-block masterpiece against the Utah Jazz in November.
The Kendrick Perkins Factor
We can't talk about who won mvp nba 2023 without mentioning the media circus. ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins famously suggested that race played a role in how Jokic was being covered and voted for. It got ugly. It forced voters to defend their logic and, for some, it made the whole process feel tainted.
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Whether that actually changed votes is anyone's guess, but it definitely turned the MVP race into a culture war for about three weeks. It shifted the focus from "who is playing the best basketball" to "what does it mean to be the MVP."
What We Learned
Looking back, Embiid winning was the culmination of "The Process." He had overcome foot injuries that cost him his first two seasons. He lost his brother, Arthur, in a car accident right after he moved to the U.S. He had been the bridesmaid twice before.
His win was a "lifetime achievement" award as much as it was a "best season" award.
If you're looking to understand the current NBA landscape, remember that the 2023 race changed how players approach the award. Now, we have the 65-game rule to prevent guys from winning if they miss too much time. Embiid played 66 games in 2023—just barely crossing that imaginary line we have now.
To really get the full picture of that era, you should check out the highlights of Embiid's 52-point game against Boston or Jokic's playoff run that followed. It shows the difference between regular-season dominance and playoff immortality.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to track how the MVP criteria have shifted since Embiid's win, look into the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) rules regarding player eligibility. It explains why some of the best players today are being left out of the conversation entirely due to injuries.