Only Embiid can speak to whether that was the case here, but the 29-year-old has been outspoken about his desire to be MVP in years past and it’s safe to assume his desire to defend his Michael Jordan trophy is strong this time around. “I didn’t sign up for that (65-game rule),” Reed said. “I don’t remember signing no paperwork, you feel me? I guess the union okayed it. They probably didn’t have a choice though, to be honest. Yeah, it’s tough. It adds a lot of pressure to the players. We were just talking about that. A lot of pressure, especially dudes like (Embiid who are) trying to get MVP again.” -via The Athletic / January 31, 2024
