76ers stud Joel Embiid wants to be an NBA All-Star for the best reason ever ... because he thinks landing the honor will bring him closer to the experience of a lifetime ... a date with Rihanna.
Here's the story ... Embiid has been trying to drum up All-Star votes from fans saying he needs the All-Star tag to have a shot with a famous mystery "crush" he's been chasing for years.
He's tweeted about the mystery girl and even referenced her during a post-game interview last week .