Embiid says he's the 'best player in the world'

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid was feeling pretty good after Thursday's 112-104 win over the Brooklyn Nets. In his team's first outing following Embiid's third All-Star appearance on Sunday, the 25-year-old recorded a 39-point, 16-rebound double-double.

With 26 regular-season games left for Philadelphia, the gregarious big man hopes to maintain his All-Star mindset during the home stretch.

"For sure," Embiid told reporters postgame on Thursday. "All-Star Game was fun. Being there in the fourth quarter, doing my thing at the end of the game, I thought it was great.

"The game against the Clippers (on Feb. 11) was a good starting spot, but the All-Star Game, just proving I'm here, I belong, and being the best player in the world. I just intend to keep coming out every single night and just play hard and try to get wins and just go out and try to win a championship."

Whether Embiid is the best player in the world is a matter of opinion. The closest thing to an objective measure is which player becomes the MVP.

In any case, Embiid's huge stat line coming off the All-Star break improved his season-long production to a robust 23.3 points, 12 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game. His claim about being the league's best player might be debatable, but his importance to the 76ers this season isn't.