Joel Embiid is ready to speak it into existence.
The 25-year-old was the star on Christmas Day as the 76ers (23-10) limited reigning NBA Giannis Antetokounmpo and took down the Eastern Conference-leading Bucks (27-5).
Embiid told Yahoo Sports postgame, “The whole season I’ve been humble, but I want to be Defensive Player of the Year, and I feel like tonight showed it.”
Embiid was one of four 76ers to defend Antetokounmpo, who still put up 18 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. But the reigning MVP made just 8 of 27 shots from the floor and fell quite short of his average 31 points per game.
Embiid himself scored 31, showing up on offense and defense. He blocked a pair of shots in addition to grabbing nine defensive rebounds. Embiid’s performance served as a reminder despite his relatively reduced minutes and six games missed this season. According to CBS Sports, he added after the game “A lot of people have forgotten who I am.”