Bad news for the Philadelphia 76ers and their respective teams in the 2021 All-Star Game. The Sixers duo is potentially ineligible to play tonight due to contract tracing with a person who tested positive for COVID-19.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the two stars have the same barber and this person tested positive for the disease. Now they’re waiting to get new results back and confirm if there’s something to worry about and if the pair will have to be remained quarantined for the rest of the weekend in Atlanta.
76ers All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons are potentially ineligible to play tonight in the NBA All-Star Game due to contact tracing from exposure to a likely COVID-19 positive individual before they arrived to Atlanta, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 7, 2021
The exposure occurred with Embiid and Simmons‘ personal barber who had a positive test result and is awaiting another test. Both traveled by themselves on private planes, and had no exposure to other players or people down in Atlanta bubble. https://t.co/PeiSFzzPZS
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 7, 2021
This was one of the biggest fears around the league when the front office announced they were carrying out the game after initially calling it off. This didn’t happen in Atlanta, it was before they traveled to play in the game but it’s still worrisome to know that they could be infected.
This quarantine process was applied per NBA’s normal strict protocols. Embiid and Simmons have not been in contact with other people in Atlanta due to league’s quarantine. https://t.co/PeiSFzzPZS
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 7, 2021
The good thing is that they haven’t been in contact with anybody else in the city due to the league’s quarantine protocols. This is a developing story and fans are waiting to see what is going to happen with these two.
More Doc Rivers: "We're still waiting for the NBA to tell us what the next steps are."
Embiid and Simmons have been isolated in their hotel rooms in Atlanta as the NBA determines if they were exposed to someone in Philadelphia this week who is now testing positive for COVID-19.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) March 7, 2021
Doc Rivers says the situation isn’t that favorable for the players and we’ll probably see Team LeBron without Ben Simmons and Team Durant without Joel Embiid.
**UPDATE**
The NBA has ruled out Simmons and Embiid for tonight’s game, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. They have no plans to replace the two players, so Team LeBron won’t have Simmons and Team Durant will be Joel Embiid-less on the court.
The NBA is ruling out Embiid and Simmons for All-Star Game, source tells ESPN. https://t.co/PSiQ8xiOMo
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 7, 2021
At this late hour, there are no plans to replace Embiid and Simmons in the All-Star Game, source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 7, 2021
The NBA's worst nightmare in Atlanta has been an outbreak among the best players in the world. Embiid and Simmons didn't have contact w/ peers there. In the instance involving the two Sixers stars, players have been kept in contact tracing and quarantine for 7 days this season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) March 7, 2021
As Woj said, these players didn’t have contact with anybody else, which is good for them and the rest of his peers in Atlanta. One of the best players in the East won’t play tonight, which damages the show a little bit.
