Cameroon-born Philadelphia 76ers centre Joel Embiid and Memphis Grizzles guard Ja Morant have both been named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 9 of the 2023-24 NBA season.
Embiid grabbed his second Player of the Week award this season and the 13th of his NBA career, further reducing the distance to the franchise record 20 honours set by Hall of Famer Allen Iverson.
The 29-year-old led Philadelphia to a 2-1 week with wins over the West-leading Minnesota Timberwolves and the Toronto Raptors, losing to just the Chicago Bulls, and enjoying averages of 40.7 points, 12.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists
In their loss to the Bulls, Embiid tallied 40 points and 14 rebounds for his sixth 40-point double-double game of the season, the most of any player in the NBA. At the Wells Fargo Center against the Timberwolves, he poured in a season-high 51 points performance along with 12 rebounds for his seventh 50-point double-double display, also the most among any player currently in the league.
The blockbuster performance put him in a prestigious class as he became the fourth player to record a 50-point double-double against the Timberwolves, joining Jayson Tatum, and Hall of Famers Tony Parker and Shaquille O’Neal.
Embiid capped off his week with a near triple-double of 31 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists against Toronto. The Yaounde native has now scored at least 30 points in 14 straight games, the longest such streak since James Harden did so in 32 straight outings in 2018-19.
His streak of 30-point and 10-rebound games currently stands at 13, achieving the longest such streak since Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did so in 16 straight contests during the 1971-72 season.
Embiid totalled 122 points in his three games played, and he overcame competition from seven other top performers in the East: Jarrett Allen (Cleveland), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), DeMar DeRozan (Bulls), Tyler Herro (Heat), Derrick White (Celtics), Trae Young (Hawks), and teammate Tyrese Maxey.
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 9 of the 2023-24 season (Dec. 18-24). pic.twitter.com/Gf4ro7FKVg
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 26, 2023
In the West, Morant’s fairytale return was rewarded as he grabbed the third Player of the Week honour of his career. He warded off competition from Stephen Curry (GSW), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC), LeBron James (Lakers), Jamal Murray (Nuggets) and Domantas Sabonis (Kings).
Morant, who served a 25-game ban, averaged 28.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 9.0 assists to lead Memphis to a 3-0 week with wins over New Orleans Pelicans, Indiana Pacers, and the Atlanta Hawks.
