PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — For the third time in his career, Sixers star Joel Embiid was voted to the All-NBA Second Team.
Noteworthy last season was Embiid's not making it to a single All-NBA team — including defense. He made this season's second All-NBA Defensive Team earlier this week.
This season, he responded to that development by averaging career bests in points (28.5 per game), field goal percentage (51.3%), free throw percentage (85.9%) and free throw attempts per game (10.7). Embiid was also runner-up for MVP, something you can argue he would have won if not for missing 21 games. The same could be said about the All-NBA Teams — given that MVP Nikola Jokić made the first team as a center.
A global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters voted for the teams -- picking two guards, two forwards and one center for each at the position they usually play.
With his third All-NBA selection, Embiid joins Allen Iverson, Charles Barkley, Julius Erving, Moses Malone, Billy Cunningham, Wilt Chamberlain and Dolph Schayes as the only players in franchise history (Philadelphia 76ers and Syracuse Nationals) to receive that type of recognition.
And because of this selection, Embiid is now eligible for a supermax extension of four years beyond the two seasons that are left on his contract, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.
Meantime, earlier this week it was announced that Ben Simmons made All-NBA Defensive First Team.
