Julius Erving picks his early candidate for leading MVP race: “I said I’m biased…I’m from New York”

The MVP race has been close throughout the entire season and Joel Embiid has been a part of it since the beginning. Former All-Star for the Philadelphia 76ers, Julius Erving, gave his pick on which player he thinks should win the award at the end of the season.

ESPN's Malika Andrews had a chance to talk with the legend about how the season has gone so far. As they touched on the topic of MVP, the Hall of Famer said:

"I said I’m biased, so I'll be East coast. I'm from New York but Philly is my second home so I got to go with Joel [Embiid].

"He's been knocking at the door, two years, came up just short. He's constantly challenging himself saying, 'What do I have to do?' now he's leading the league in scoring. I don't know if it's gonna end up like that at the end of the year, but he would be my choice as a favorite it."

As someone who has won the award four times in his career, Erving knows a thing or two about what it takes to win it. Which is why the improved version of Embiid has not gone unnoticed by Dr. J. In fact, he believes that the Sixers center is doing a wonderful job of backing up his case as the best player in the league this season.

Over the past two seasons, many thought the Cameroonian big man had a chance at winning the prized trophy. But he fell short and Nikola Jokic bested him in back-to-back years for it. In an interview, the dejected star shared his honest thoughts as he congratulated the Serbian center.

"I don't know what else I have to do to win it."

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Joel Embiid would probably lose again as he guns for the MVP award this season

New Orleans Pelicans v Philadelphia 76ers

Joel Embiid has been doing everything he can to get to the top spot on the MVP ladder this season. In doing so, he's improved his overall game and has led the Sixers to a 23-14 record so far. Obviously, he's going after the Michael Jordan Trophy, but it looks like he won't get to win it this season.

The league is full of talented players who have a legitimate shot at winning the esteemed award. Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks has been putting up historic numbers, which boosts his case for winning MVP. His most iconic game against the New York Knicks alone has made him a favorite among the fans.

Another player with a better case than Joel Embiid is Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics. He's had an amazing year overall, making him one of the favorites to win the award. Unlike Doncic, Tatum's team record has helped his case, alongside his notable stats this season.