Joel Embiid was an obvious choice for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game. The Philadelphia 76ers’ superstar big man is the best center in the Eastern Conference and very well could up winning the league’s MVP award when it’s all said and done. As a result, he was a shoe-in for a starting nod this year, and Kevin Durant made sure to take him as he assembled his team for Sunday’s game.
The game will have its annual charitable element based on the teams that win each quarter and, ultimately, the game itself, but this time around, Embiid is adding his own twist to the proceedings. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Embiid will take his $100,000 purse from the game and donate it to a trio of homeless shelters throughout the City of Brotherly Love.
Sixers MVP candidate @JoelEmbiid has committed to donate his $100,000 in winnings on All-Star Weekend to three homeless shelters in the Philadelphia-area, providing meals, clothing, COVID treatment, health care, summer camp and essential care for teens.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 6, 2021
Embiid’s charitable contributions to Philadelphia have been well-documented, most notably when he offered to cover the salaries of stadium workers who were going to see their salaries cut earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic and when he got in on a fund to get antibody testing for Philly healthcare workers last April. Embiid has made it clear that he really appreciates how the city has taken him in and embraced him from day one, and this is the latest way that he is showing his appreciation.
