Joel Embiid has had it with Ben Simmons.
The Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday suspended Simmons for their season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans for “conduct detrimental to the team.” Reports surfaced the 76ers head coach Doc Rivers threw Simmons out of practice after he refused to take part in a defensive drill.
There’s been an ongoing feud with Simmons and Philadelphia. The star player reportedly was done with the Sixers last month, but Rivers really wanted him to return to the team.
Well, it’s clear the feeling isn’t mutual, and Embiid is over the whole fiasco.
“At this point, I don’t care about that man, honestly. He does whatever he wants,” Embiid told reporters after Tuesday’s practice, via NBC Sports Philadelphia. “That’s not my job, that’s not those guys’ jobs. I’m only focused on trying to make the team better, win some games, play hard every night and try to lead every night the guys that we have here. And I’m sure they feel the same way. …
“At the end of the day our job is not to babysit somebody,” Embiid continued. “We get paid to produce on the court, go out, play hard, win some games. That’s what we get paid for. We don’t get paid to come out here and try to babysit somebody. That’s not our job, and I’m sure my teammates feel that way.”
The 2021-22 NBA regular season hasn’t even started yet, and the 76ers have no shortage of drama.
What happens next remains to be seen, but it’s clear there needs to be some sort of resolution that probably ends with Simmons leaving Philadelphia.
Time will tell, though.
