TWO WEEKS AGO, Joel Embiid returned from a four-game absence caused by a sore ankle, an injury that kept him out of the Philadelphia 76ers' marquee Christmas Day matchup with the Miami Heat.
After that Jan. 2 win against the Chicago Bulls, during which Embiid recorded a 31-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double, the NBA's reigning MVP was asked about the new league policy that could end his repeat run before a single award vote is cast.
The league's rule, put in place in early October as part of the push to curb load management, states players will be ineligible for major individual awards -- Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year and All-NBA honors among them -- if they fail to play in at least 65 games.