"It sounded like he had a grudge against somebody.... What if Jalen Green was in a position to earn a supermax" - 5x All-Star slams Bill Simmons for his biased remarks with regards to NBA awards voting
The Ringer founder Bill Simmons has come under heavy scrutiny regarding his comments on the NBA. He is facing major backlash for his statements concerning Houston Rockets rookie Jalen Green.
Simmons, appearing on the "Ringer podcast," appeared to have some harsh thoughts on the Rockets rookie, including his use of profanity to validate his opinions.
The profane remarks made their way around the league, leading to angered reactions from fans and players alike. Draymond Green and Joel Embiid are two of the most prominent stars in today's game who have come to the defense of Green, in light of the comments made by Bill Simmons.
Speaking to the media since reportedly finishing second in the 2021-22 Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting, Embiid — who is currently involved in a tense battle with the Miami Heat in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs — referenced the controversy involving Simmons and Houston’s young star.
Joel Embiid congratulates Nikola Jokic for winning MVP but says “I don’t know what I need to do to win it,” and makes the point that media people like “@BillSimmons who say ‘f- Jalen Green’ shouldn’t be part of the awards process.
Here’s some of video of you can hear. https://t.co/xdXgykKoVp
In view of the NBA awards being brought to light, Embiid stated his thoughts on the award as well as the process.
Embiid said:
"I guess every year it's all about whatever you guys decide, whatever fits the narrative as far as who's going to win.
"But to me, the only thing I'll say about these awards is that until I don't know how to explain it, I go back to what I heard on a podcast. Bill Simmons, basically saying, it sounded like he had a grudge against somebody saying 'F Jalen Green.'"
The awards and their voters have always been a topic of controversy surrounding the league for a multitude of reasons, stemming from the fact that most voters are biased or have their own agenda.
This eventually leads to players being willfully ignored, or on the receiving end of slack from the voters. The awards have, on more than one occasion, blatantly disregarded players who deserved winners in their category due to the voting criteria.
The criteria for MVP changes every year.
Jokic just won MVP with the Nuggets as the 6th seed.
Remember when LeBron didn’t win MVP in 2018 because the Cavs were the 4th seed? https://t.co/zuFqnYNowe
Embiid stated:
"If you're going to allow these types of people to vote on these awards, that's not fair. What if Jalen Green was in a position to earn a super-max, or, I don't know, an 'All-Star' appearance? You've got someone sounding like that and has a lot of power."
The 2022 NBA awards
The NBA awards have always been a matter of speculation and one that invites controversy, and this year looks to be no different.
As announced, Nikola Jokic has once again been named the league MVP. Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Joel Embiid finished second, following a magnificent season.
Tyler Herro has been named the Sixth Man of the Year. Marcus Smart made history, being the first guard to win Defensive Player of the Year honors since Gary Payton.
The only declarations left to be made are the All-Rookie teams and the All-NBA teams, which will garner further controversy.