SPORTS Illustrated swimsuit model Anne de Paula is one half of an NBA power couple.

The Brazilian beauty, 28, is in a long-term relationship with Philadelphia 76ers basketball star Joel Embiid.

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Anne de Paula is the long-term girlfriend of NBA MVP Joel EmbiidCredit: @annedepaula : Instagram

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The Brazilian-born model was on the cover of Sports Illustrated swimwear in 2017

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The couple met in 2018 after being introduced by a mutual friendCredit: Getty
Embiid was recently crowned MVP after a stellar 2023 season in Philly.

And de Paula has been alongside her man every step of the way.

An SI swimwear model, Anne was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1995.

The daughter of an X-ray technician and a doctor, Anne played soccer growing up.

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She dreamed of becoming a professional before her modeling career took off in her teens.

Anne explained to Fox: “I loved sports, but I also liked this girly version of myself.

“I wasn’t popular in school. I wasn’t successful with the boys.

“They never really looked at me like a girl because I was always playing with them.

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“So I just started doing more and more photos until my mom sent me to an agency at 13. So she was the one who got me into it!”

Anne made her SI Swimsuit debut in 2017, winning the fan vote and going on to become a SI Swimsuit rookie in 2018.

She was introduced to Embiid by a mutual friend later that year, enjoying a dinner date in New York City during their first meeting.

The pair hit it off, revealing that seven-foot-tall Embiid caught her attention by “just being himself.”

Anne told ESPN: “He just has this personality where he wants to motivate you.

“His friends, his family and now with Arthur — he pushes all of us to be the best of ourselves.

“That’s the type of person you want to have around.”

The pair share one son, Arthur Elijah de Paula Embiid, who was born in September 2020.

And de Paula is proud of the bond Arthur shares with his NBA star dad.

She said: “They are like best friends.

“When Arthur sees him, there is no one else in the room. It is the most beautiful thing ever.

“It almost felt like, with their connection, Arthur sensed something was going on.”

Anne boasts 245,000 followers on Instagram and a recent “post gym selfie” sent her fans wild.

One replied to the snap: “Simply flawless.”

While another gasped: “Joel is a lucky man.”

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Embiid’s 76ers took Game 5 of their series against the Boston Celtics 115-103 on Tuesday night.

That win gives Philly a 3-2 series lead as they head back to Wells Fargo Center on Thursday night for Game 6.

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Anne regularly wows her followers with modeling pictures and travel snapsCredit: Refer to Caption

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The model wanted to be a professional soccer player growing upCredit: Getty – Contributor