Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid is absolutely killing it right now, and he has the numbers to prove it.

As pointed out by Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer, Embiid's output thus far this season has matched that of the great Shaquille O'Neal, during the Hall of Famer's MVP year back in the 1999-00 season.

Embiid is averaging 27 points, 13.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. Only five players in NBA history, all Hall of Famers, have met the same statistical threshold; the last player to do it was Shaq, who averaged 29.7 points with a 57.8 true shooting percentage in 1999-00, his lone MVP campaign.

That's quite an accomplishment for Embiid, who has elevated his game to new heights this season. His 27.0 points per game rank sixth overall in the entire league, while his 13.4 rebounds per game are fourth overall. The seven-foot center is also swatting 2.0 shots per contest, which is good for eighth in the entire NBA.

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76ers Joel Embiid on the bench from game one or game two of playoff series vs. New York Knicks with Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart smiling or laughing.

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76ers' Joel Embiid in front of a picture of Embiid at the postgame podium in sunglasses

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Tom Thibodeau in New York Knicks coaching uniform

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More importantly, he has helped the Sixers amass a 17-8 record to start the season, as the team sits on the third spot in the Eastern Conference. They are only a game and a half behind the Milwaukee Bucks, and three and a half wins behind the Toronto Raptors — arguably the two best teams in the entire league at the moment.

It's still way too early in the season, but at this point, Joel Embiid is definitely in the running for the season's Most Valuable Player award. He will undoubtedly make quite a case for himself if he can keep up this level of play throughout the campaign.