Joel Embiid and Paul George sat out of the Philadelphia 76ers 106-114 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers as it fell on the second day of a back-to-back, prompting criticism from fans as the two superstars didn’t play despite the 76ers having a 2-8 record, which worsened to nine losses after the Cavs game.
A fan on Reddit went on an impassioned rant against Embiid and George, criticizing the duo and modern NBA players for being soft as they’re unwilling to play back-to-backs despite their inflated salaries.
“Joel Embiid and Paul George combined make $100 million a year, work three days a week, and can’t play back-to-back games because it’s too hard for them.”
“Say what you will about today’s NBA but players are soft. LeBron complained on X about playing a pre-season game in Milwaukee. And players are faking injuries to rest. These guys make more money than players before they did and can’t be bothered to play back-to-back games, but will stay out till 2 AM at the strip club, hire private chefs to cook for them, get massages every day, fly to Germany to get medical treatment, but somehow playing back to back games is out of line.”
“Regular people are being called Lazy because we want to work from home and we don’t want to wake up at 7 AM to drive in traffic for an hour to be at a stupid office for nine hours a day but I’m lazy because I want to work from home. Where has my NBA gone?”
Other fans had a mixed response to this sentiment, with some agreeing while most disagreed.
“You’re not mad at players, you’re mad at your work lmao. Ideally, you should be allowed to just work from home. Ideally, nurses shouldn’t have to be working insane hours, but none of this has to do with NBA players,” said one fan firmly disagreeing.
“Nephews will go crazy but you’re 100% correct,” said one fan in agreement.
“At the same time, look at all the serious injuries already in the league… It’s not just guys being soft, look at the serious injuries both of these particular players have faced in their careers. Fundamentally, I agree with you but the reality is, that they are both trying to win after multiple career-altering injuries,” said one fan in the middle of the argument.
“You do realize that it’s probably to save themselves from injuries and not cuz it’s “too hard” for them. And clearly, Philly is on board with load managing them so why don’t you call the team and the medical staff soft lol. Try being the 0.1% of your profession and I’m sure you’d be able to dictate your working hours too,” said one fan aggressively.
“This may be news to you but players actually play and work on their games outside of game days. Call me crazy but I think the player that has improved literally every season isn’t a lazy bum. It’s not that these players “can’t be bothered” to play but that their bodies literally can’t keep up. Again, this might be news to you but your 9-5 isn’t as taxing on the body as professional basketball,” said another fan.
This is an interesting debate, as everyone knows that both George and Embiid have struggled to stay healthy in past seasons, with Embiid in particular never being 100% by the time the playoffs come around. The East is weak enough for both players to ramp up later in the season and still be in contention for a Playoff spot.
But making the Playoffs won’t be as straightforward if the 76ers fall as behind as they have so far this season. Embiid is making $51,415,938 million this season while George is making $49,205,800 million this season, on a brand-new four-year contract he signed over the summer as a free agent.
Both players need to look after themselves, but fans are right to be upset at them for sitting back-to-backs and essentially being part-time players with their unavailability.
Hopefully, the 76ers start ramping them up by next month, as it won’t be the best idea for them to keep missing alternate games, especially with Tyrese Maxey sidelined with a hamstring injury. They will face the Orlando Magic in an NBA Cup matchup tonight, with Embiid and George expected to suit up.
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