After five seasons as teammates in Philadelphia, the split between Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons became official with the Feb. 10 trade that sent Simmons to the Nets. Although it all still feels relatively fresh, Embiid apparently moved on a while ago.
“I did a lot of chasing around trying to get him back and try to make him feel comfortable again," Embiid said to ESPN's Malika Andrews.
"It was tough. I didn’t care anymore.”
“I did a lot of chasing around trying to get him back and try to make him feel comfortable again. It was tough. I didn’t care anymore.”
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) February 22, 2022
Joel Embiid on Ben Simmons, James Harden, and the MVP race. Catch our convo on NBA Today: pic.twitter.com/cI2dXv6QIn
To provide context surrounding the idea that both parties had completely moved on, Embiid told Andrews that he and Simmons have not spoken in weeks, approximating that their last conversation came well before the trade was executed.
The saga that led to Simmons' exit was nothing short of contentious. Following the top-seeded Sixers' loss to the Hawks in the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs, Simmons felt as though he was made out to be the sole reason for their loss.
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The fallout from Philly's playoff exit? Simmons' holdout of historic proportions, for which he reportedly lost over $20 million of salary, making it clear that he would never again suit up for the Sixers.
While Embiid is known to be a lighthearted jokester and self-proclaimed Twitter troll, he did counteract the meme he used to react to the trade with some compliments for his former teammate.
"He's a great player," Embiid said. "I think whatever he's gonna add to Brooklyn is going to take them to another level, too."
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With the trade fully in the rearview, the focus now shifts to the final regular-season meeting between the Nets and 76ers, which falls on Thursday, March 10 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
Whether or not Simmons will suit up for that one remains to be seen, but it's safe to say all parties involved have that date circled on their calendar.
