"I wouldn’t mind being friends" - Joel Embiid reveals he is not on talking terms with Ben Simmons since his trade to Brooklyn Nets
Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were a big part of the Philadelphia 76ers when the played together for the franchise.
Both were supremely talented and made the 76ers a force to be reckoned with in the East. However, after a disappointing second-round exit in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, the relationship between Simmons and Embiid took a weird turn. The Australian felt that the team blamed the defeat to the Hawks solely on him, which is what is believed to have propelled him to a move away from the 76ers.
He asked for a trade and the whole saga went on throughout the offseason. Joel Embiid and teammates tried to speak to the three-time All-Star, but he was adamant about leaving the franchise. He was finally able to find his way out as the 76ers traded him, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond to avail the services of James Harden. Although Jojo did not like the way things transpired with Ben Simmons, he is now over the whole situation and is ready to start afresh with his former teammate. In his latest interview with Sports Illustrated, the Big Man spoke about Simmons' exit and said:
"I don’t have any hard feelings. I don’t have any hate toward him. I wouldn’t mind being friends. That’s just me. I don’t care. Honestly. I respect the decision he made. I think it’s unfortunate what happened, but to me it’s whatever.”
“There were so many times I thought I’d really lose it.” @JoelEmbiid opens up on Ben Simmons, the Sixers season and the pursuit of his first MVP. @SInow Daily Cover: si.com/nba/2022/03/30… https://t.co/tjfCpTCTM0
The team did its best to keep the guard on the team. However, it looked like the post-game remarks from Embiid and Doc Rivers after the Conference Semis loss to the Atlanta Hawks really affected him.
Embiid believes that he did not try to criticize Simmons alone and said many other things, but a small point was dragged on by the media, which in turn created turmoil. Speaking about the same, the 28-year-old said in his interview with Sports Illustrated that:
"I didn’t call out anybody. This is what [the media] does. I listed a bunch of stuff that happened. And that one little piece of it was everywhere. We couldn’t get anything going. It’s unfortunate, but if, as a player, if you want to read into that, I can’t help you.”
After months of controversy, both parties are happy and seem to be satisfied with what they got out of the trade. Ben Simmons found the Brooklyn Nets where he will team up with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, while the 76ers now have a point guard like James Harden, who is not only an elite scorer but can also pass the ball brilliantly.
Joel Embiid says he still doesn’t know what drove Ben Simmons away from Philly.
He spoke to @SIChrisMannix about the situation: trib.al/XSx56Vi https://t.co/Q2obnamONM
How good were Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons as a duo?
Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were entrusted with the responsibility of taking the Philadelphia 76ers to new heights. They were the face of 'The Process' and the fans in Philly were excited about the potential the duo had in them. Simmons was the number one pick in the 2016 draft but missed almost an entire season due to injury.
Having gone through the Ben Simmons saga and lineup changes with the James Harden trade, Joel Embiid's maturity and leadership has definitely been put to the test 💯 https://t.co/ijLoEpXPOL
Embiid also had a history of injury problems, but when the duo started playing games together, the 76ers were winning games.
During the 2017-18 season, the team won 52 regular-season games. Simmons won Rookie of the Year honors for his brilliance. Embiid also started to showcase his dominance and won a place on the All-Star team. The duo helped the team get out of the first round with ease.
However, their opponent in the second round was a Boston Celtics team that was stacked with talent. Although they lost there, the fans in Philly were hopeful of a great future for the team.
The following season, the 76ers added Jimmy Butler to the team. They looked solid as Butler was also a brilliant defender and an able scorer. Simmons and Embiid both made the All-Star team that year. The Big Man was also named in the All-NBA and All-Defense second teams.
"On court: We want to win. Off court: Joel does his thing, I do my thing."
This Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid 2019 interview with @ShamsCharania means something a lot different now 😬 https://t.co/IZxUFBYzL4
After easily getting the better of the Brooklyn Nets in the playoffs that season, Philly was up against the Toronto Raptors in the second round. They played well, but the Raptors were also strong and the series was tied at 3-3. Game 7 was always going to be exciting and with the scores tied at 90 and four seconds left to play, Kawhi Leonard drained the best clutch shot in playoff history which proved to be the difference between the two teams as the Raptors advanced to the finals by defeating Philly 4-3 in the semis.
The @sixers are looking to bounce back from their heartbreaking last-second loss to the Raptors in the 2019 playoffs.
Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid try to lead Philly to a title when the NBA season resumes 👇 https://t.co/TE4FmTz2w5
After the heartbreak of the 2018-19 season, the 2019-20 season was exciting for the 76ers as Simmons had elevated his game to the next level, while Embiid was proving to be one of the best centers in the league. Both made All-Star appearances and when everything started to look smooth for them, the pandemic hit and the season had to be paused. The 76ers campaign took a major hit as the team did not perform well in the bubble. They faced the Celtics in the first round but were swept by them.
Fans were slowly starting to get anxious as the team had not made a Conference Finals appearance in almost two decades. That was when the organization made big moves by bringing in executive Daryl Morey and coach Doc Rivers on board. This brought a renewed joy and the 76ers started their 2020-21 campaign on a high note. Embiid had a few niggles and missed 22 games that season.
However, in his absence, the team was led by Ben Simmons, who was brilliant on both ends of the floor. The 76ers ended the season as the top seed and looked set to make a deep playoff run. After beating the Washington Wizards in the first round, the team was shocked by the Atlanta Hawks.
From thereon, one thing led to another, and eventually, Simmons moved out of the 76ers. Embiid and Simmons gave the fans in Philly a new hope. However, with the Australian moving out, the city will hope for Embiid to bring back the championship for the first time since 1983.