Recently on the Rich Eisen Show, Julius Erving (Dr. J) was interviewed and asked about the current MVP race. You would think that his response would be in full support of Joel Embiid, but that just wasn’t the case. Although Dr. J gave praise to Embiid and said he hoped that the Sixers’ big man would win, he said that Nikola Jokic was deserving of the award. Here is his exact quote:
"I think the most deserving guy is Jokic,” Erving said. “He hasn’t missed any games. Night in and night out, he’s one better than he did last year.”"
For Sixers fans who grew up watching Dr. J and witnessed his greatness, he was one of the classiest athletes in the entire NBA. Since retiring, he has been an ambassador for the franchise even before the days of Allen Iverson. It leaves Philly fans to wonder why he would claim that the Denver center is more deserving than the hometown favorite.
Dissecting Former Sixers’ great comments.
To be fair, the statistics that Jokic has on his side are remarkable. Yet, Joel Embiid has stellar stats, too. Julius Erving claims that it’s not just production numbers that sway him towards Jokic. The fact that Jokic has played more games this season seems to resonate with Erving. Does Dr. J reflect on his era where players played more minutes and load management wasn’t as prevalent?
Some have floated the idea that perhaps Dr. J is a little bit jealous. Could it be generational envy where Dr. J can’t go all-in on the side of Joel Embiid? In the past, when Allen Iverson was a younger player, Julius Erving commented on Iverson as being something of a playground player. Back then, for a young Iverson, that wasn’t the greatest sign of respect from one of the most influential athletes in Philadelphia sports history.
We’ve seen Dr. J has shown love to Allen Iverson since then. How can he not? Allen Iverson is a Hall of Fame player who honored Dr. J in his Hall of Fame acceptance speech. There are countless pictures of the two shaking hands and hugging. Some fans wonder why Dr. J can’t show this kind of love to Embiid in the form of unconditional, full-fledged MVP support.
There is no true controversy here, but it is a little odd that Dr. J expressed that Jokic is more deserving. If he truly believes that, that’s a benign issue. Thinking it and putting it out there on a national show is what makes you scratch your head, especially if you are Joel Embiid and you recently filmed a Coca-Cola commercial co-starring Julius Erving’s voice.
The overall disappointment isn’t so much that Dr. J said what he said. The biggest concern for Embiid and his supporters is this: if Dr. J can’t be on your side one hundred percent, being connected to the same franchise he played for and represents, then who will be? That’s like your closest family member wishing you the best during a job interview, but then saying someone else is more deserving of that job when called for a job reference. Go figure.
If you’re Joel Embiid, perhaps the comment stings a little bit. Maybe he shrugs his shoulders and thinks nothing of it. Knowing how much Embiid wants the MVP, campaigning for the award on talk shows and podcasts the past month, it wouldn’t surprise me if he is at least slightly confused.
In several weeks, the playoffs will be in full swing and awards will start to be announced. Joel Embiid hopes to hear his name called when the MVP race concludes. I’m sure Dr. J will be happy for the Sixers’ big man if he wins. Erving may even offer Embiid a cold can of Coke for a victory toast. If Embiid doesn’t win though, expect him to decline the Coke and order a Shirley Temple.