In an interview with ESPN's Malika Andrews, 76ers center Joel Embiid addressed the Ben Simmons saga and how he tried to get the disgruntled star to stay.
“I did a lot of chasing around trying to get him to come back and trying to make him feel comfortable again,” Embiid said. “It was tough. I didn't care anymore.”
Simmons requested a trade from Philadelphia before the season started, but the team refused to deal him away and instead hoped to repair the relationship. But there was no mending the fractured partnership. At one point, Simmons refused to take part in a drill when he finally showed up to practice, and coach Doc Rivers told him to go home. Later, he told the team he wasn't mentally ready to play and started seeing a mental health professional.
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Eventually Simmons was traded to the Nets in a blockbuster deal that involved James Harden. During the entire ordeal, Embiid wasn't shy about his displeasure with Simmons's refusal to play and at one point said, “I don't care about that man.” Embiid also told Andrews that the last time he spoke to Simmons was one or two weeks before the Feb. 10 trade deadline.
The big man is currently leading the NBA in scoring at 29.6 points per game and is the favorite to be named MVP this year.
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