PHILADELPHIA – APRIL 11, 2022 – The NBA announced today that Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers was named Eastern Conference Player of the week for games played between Monday, April 4 and Sunday, April 10. In his sixth NBA season, it’s Embiid’s seventh career Player of the Week selection and his second of the 2021-22 season. Embiid joins Hall of Famer Allen Iverson (20) as the only players ever to earn the award at least seven times as 76ers since the award’s inception in 1979-80.
After helping Philadelphia clinch its fifth consecutive playoff berth, Embiid led the 76ers to a 2-1 record in games which he appeared. This last stretch of games led to Embiid capturing the league scoring title at 30.6 points per game, making him the third 76er win to the scoring crown, joining Iverson and fellow Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain. Embiid became the first center since Moses Malone in 1981-82 to average at least 30 points per game.Over the week Embiid continued his streak of strong performances, extending his streak of 25-point, 10-rebound outings to 10 straight contests, which was the longest such streak of the season. No other player did so in more than seven straight games.
The week saw Embiid post averages of 38.7 points, 14.3 rebounds along with 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks per game while also shooting .609 from the floor. Embiid was the only player in the league to post such numbers over the week.
Last Tuesday, against the Pacers, Embiid notched his second 45-point double-double of the season with 45 points and 13 rebounds, which made him one of three players with multiple such games. For his career, Embiid has six games of at least 45 points and 10 rebounds which are the second-most in franchise history.
In the second game of the week, Embiid posted his league-best 30th game of the year of at least 30 points and 10 boards against the Raptors.
In Embiid’s final game of the week, he finished with 41 points (14-17 FG) and 20 rebounds against the Pacers. This made him the fifth player in NBA history to score at least 40 points and collect 20-plus rebounds while shooting 80-percent-or-better from the floor. He joined John Drew and Hall of Famers Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain and Bob Pettit as the only players to do so.
For the season, Embiid posted averages of 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per contest, becoming the first player to average 30-11-4 for a season since Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo in 1975-76. Just four other players have ever compiled such averages: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson.
The Cameroon native is the first center to lead the NBA in scoring since Shaquille O’Neal did so in 1999-2000.
Luka Doncic was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played between Monday, April 4 and Sunday, April 10.