Over 400,000 fans already have cast votes for Joel Embiid to make it to the 2018 NBA All-Star Game, a number that caught the Sixers big man a little off guard.
“I have a pretty good chance,” Embiid said Friday. “I was actually pretty surprised. Last year at this time I don’t think I had that many votes.”
Embiid ranks third in the Eastern Conference frontcourt with 433,161 votes already. Only leading vote-getter Giannis Antetokounmpo (863,416) and LeBron James (856,080) are ahead of him in that category.
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Fan voting makes up 50 percent of the total votes. Current NBA players and a group of media members will vote on three frontcourt players and two guards from each conference to account for the other 50 percent.
Last season, Embiid finished third in frontcourt fan voting, eighth among players and fifth among the media.
Embiid is once again dominating the numbers on the stat lines. He's averaging 23.8 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.0 blocks.
“It just shows you how hard I’ve been working and the support that the fans and the faith that they have in me, I really appreciate that,” Embiid said. “I can’t wait to keep on going.”
Unlike last season, the Sixers are in much better standing (19-19). The impact of his presence is glaring. Embiid isn’t losing sight of the bigger goal at hand.
NBA
“At the end of the day, it’s all about the wins,” Embiid said. “If I make the All-Star Games, good. But I want to win. I want to be in the playoffs.”