Joel Embiid just 16,000 votes behind for All-Star game starting spot

Joel Embiid’s push for a spot in the 2017 All-Star game in New Orleans has gotten a little extra help over the past several days. After tooting his own horn on Twitter last week in an effort to get more votes, he’s received a great deal of help from teammates, celebrities, a former Sixers legend, and one notable former general manager alike.

Some samples:

And last but not least...

Just incredible.

Needless to say, Embiid is a very popular man, and the help he’s getting from his friends in high place are making a real impact. The NBA released the latest fan voting numbers on Twitter today, and the 22-year-old rookie currently sits in fourth place for Eastern Conference frontcourt players, just over 16,000 spots back from Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love.

The top 3 vote getters in Embiid’s category get a starting spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team. He’s obviously never going to catch up to global superstars LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but Love is certainly within striking distance.

In terms of entertainment value, give me Embiid over Love every single day of the week and twice on Sunday.

It is worth remembering that fans only account for half of the vote this year, as the players and media split 50 percent of the vote as well. Embiid won’t necessarily be out of the running if he still sits in fourth place amongst fans when voting ends at 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 16, but maybe it’s time to start politely pressuring your favorite players and All-Star voting media members to make sure they show Embiid some love. The key word is politely, however.

For those looking for other ways to impact the voting other than just using the hashtag #NBAVote, there’s a plethora of different ways to get some extra selections in for your favorite 7-foot big man.

Make your voice heard before time runs out. The Process deserves the All-Star spot more than anyone else.