NBA Star Joel Embiid Gets Emotional Seeing His Son During MVP Ceremony

As Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was being celebrated on Friday night as this season's Most Valuable Player, it only took him seeing his son Arthur, 2, to bring him to tears.

When Arthur ran over to him during his speech, the 7-foot NBA star became instantly emotional.

Embiid, 29, has been named this NBA season's MVP. NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver, awarded Embiid the trophy while announcing, "Joel, you said your journey to the NBA wasn't probable. But it was because of your hard work and determination, and that's why these fans in Philly love you. Congratulations, you are the 2023 Kia NBA MVP."

After a massive applause, Embiid grabbed the mic and began his acceptance speech. He thanked God, his teammates, and his family.

"My family has been a huge part of it. We went through such a huge tragedy losing my little brother, but we stuck together. We went through a lot. My family, my son is somewhere," he said before Arthur ran from his mom to his MVP dad center court. That's when Embiid couldn't contain his tears through this emotional moment.

As he held Arthur through the round of applause and people chanting "MVP" repeatedly, he credited Arthur for the real reason he was there.

"Honestly, he's the main reason why I'm here. Becoming a father has changed my whole life, and I just wanted to show him a good example, and I'm glad he is here with us," he continued. "My fiancé is a big part of it, too."

The NBA star thanked all his fans for their continued support before concluding his speech.

Embiid recently opened up to NBC Sports about his family's role in him becoming MVP this season, as well as his brother Arthur who died in 2014 after being struck by a truck while walking home from school in Cameroon.

"The biggest key is obvious; I'm all about family. I don't talk about it a lot," he told NBC Sports on Wednesday. "My son, I would say, is probably the biggest part of it. My parents, they've been here from the beginning."

He said he's still upset at his father for not letting him start playing basketball until age 15, but at the same time, he he feels he made the right decision.

"Everything happens for a reason," he continued. "My mom doesn't care about all of this. She wants me to be healthy and be able to do what I love. So they've been a big part of it."

The 76ers star then talked about how his mindset shifted when he found out he would be a father, naming his son after his brother.

"And then, obviously, my family, my fiancé. Arthur. Losing my brother and then giving his name to my son meant a lot," he said.

"My son is the reason why I'm sitting here. When I found out we were having a kid, I remember I was like, 'I've got to be a great role model, and I've got to set a good example. I want him to understand that his dad was not only pretty good but also worked hard, and went and took everything he wanted."

He said his "whole mindset just changed."

"Everything about me just changed," he said. "The way I went about my business, my life, everything changed because I wanted to be a great father, set a good example."