Sixers big man Joel Embiid talks about his failed attempts to get Ben Simmons back and how he didn’t care anymore.
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The 2021-22 season has been a roller coaster ride for the Sixers organization and fans alike. The team found itself surrounded by controversies since the 2021 eastern conference semi-finals. The protagonist of this heavily publicized dispute was point guard Ben Simmons.
The former ROTY would have a string of poor performances during the postseason, with opposing teams exploiting his poor free-throw skills through the Hack-A-Simmons system. The Sixers point guard looked lost and would blow away several opportunities to win games.
Sixers head coach Doc Rivers and teammate Joel Embiid had publicly expressed their doubts over Simmons as the point guard, making it the last straw. Simmons had no plans to return to the Philly team and would use every trick in the book to force himself out of the organization.
During a recent interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews, Sixers center Embiid revealed he did everything possible to get Simmons back but didn’t care anymore.
Joel Embiid talks about his attempts to get Ben Simmons back on board.
The Sixers tried everything to give their marriage with Simmons another chance. However, the Australian native had made his mind of not entertaining any talks. There were reports of his teammates wanting to fly in and try convincing him, but he had refused to meet anyone.
Ultimately, Simmons would have his wishes granted. The NBA announced a blockbuster deal a few hours from the trade deadline, sending Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets. On the other hand, the Sixers received former MVP, James Harden.
During a recent interview on ESPN’s NBA Today, Embiid got candid about the whole Simmons situation, revealing he didn’t care anymore.
“He’s a great player, and I think whatever he’s gonna add to Brooklyn is going to take him to another level,” said Embiid.
“I did a lot of chasing around trying to get him back and try to make him feel comfortable again. It was tough. I didn’t care anymore.”
The Cameroon superstar added that if he had pride, he could have said a lot of stuff but instead did everything in his capacity as a teammate.
On the professional front, Embiid is a front runner for the MVP award this season also leading the league in scoring. The five-time All-Star is one of the most skilled centers in NBA history.
