After surpassing Allen Iverson, Joel Embiid makes history by claiming another Eastern Conference player of the month award
On Tuesday, Joel Embiid was named Eastern Conference player of the month for December, making history as the first Philadelphia 76ers player to receive the honour five times.
Over the course of 12 games, Embiid averaged 35.4 points on 54.5% shooting, 9.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.8 blocks, and 3.5 turnovers. Additionally, he had a three-point field goal percentage of 41.7%. With 33.2 points this year, the veteran spanning seven seasons is second in the league in scoring. He also averages 4.6 assists, 1.7 blocks, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.2 steals a game.
The center, who is 7 foot 2 inches tall, scored at least 44 points in three of his games and nine times in games with at least 31 points. His best effort came on December 11 when he scored 53 points against the Charlotte Hornets. On Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Embiid finished the month with a triple-double of 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists.
In order to dethrone Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain and move into second place for the most 40+ point games in team history, Embiid scored 48 points on December 27. With 32 of these contests, Embiid is second only to Hall of Famer Allen Iverson (76).
Another time player of the month honours given to Embiid occurred in January 2019, January 2021, December 2021, and January 2022. The only other Sixers to get the honour at least four times are Joel Embiid and Iverson.
Later this month, Embiid is anticipated to be selected for his sixth consecutive All-Star game. Along with Iverson, Hall of Famers Julius Erving and Dolph Schayes, he is one of just four players in team history to be selected as a starter in at least five All-Star Games.