The Philadelphia 76ers aren’t going through a sweet moment right now. Things fell apart for the team last season following a terrific regular season that didn’t translate into success when the playoff arrived.
After being eliminated by the Trae Young-led Atlanta Hawks in the second round, the Sixers entered a dark period. With Ben Simmons struggling even to attempt shots in the 4th quarter of games, Philly had a hard time beating the Hawks, and once the season was over for them, media members tried to pit Simmons and Embiid against each other.
These two were expected to lead this team to the promised land, but they fell short every year. With all the rumors surrounding Simmons, it seems like their partnership has come to an end.
After reports surfaced claiming Embiid and Simmons’ relationship was anything but good, the big man called the media out for making up stories for followers.
Joel knows how harsh these things can happen, and he even predicted this situation a couple of years ago. In 2017, the Cameroonian stated that it wouldn’t be long until the media started making comparisons between him, Simmons, and a rookie Markelle Fultz (2017 No. 1 overall pick).
Via NBC Sports:
Embiid is convinced that at some point soon, the media will turn on him and the Sixers.
Speaking specifically about the core trio of Embiid, Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz, Embiid told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne:
“I think with everything, the main thing we have to do is just stay together because I feel like there’s going to be some type of situation where people say who is better between us three. And that’s how it splits.”
The 2021 MVP runner-up then recalled how things went down in Oklahoma City when Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden played together.
“I saw what happened in Oklahoma City with (James) Harden, (Russell) Westbrook and (Kevin) Durant and I don’t want that to happen here,” Shelburne recalled Embiid saying.
In 2012, the Thunder traded James Harden to the Houston Rockets in one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history, picking KD, Brodie, and Serge Ibaka over The Beard.
The Sixers did trade Markelle Fultz to the Magic a couple of seasons ago, and now they find themselves on the verge of trading Simmons, too.
Embiid isn’t happy with everything said in the press, which has led the Sixers to this point. They have a situation to fix, but it seems like Ben played his last game as a 76er.
