Joel Embiid Claims He “Didn’t Understand” Why Ben Simmons Left and Blames NBA Media

It was back in the 2021 NBA playoffs that Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons would share the NBA floor together on the same team for the last time. The duo looked dominant as they finished the regular season with a 49-23 record. In fact, many expected that the team could possibly win the title altogether. However, in an unexpected fashion, they lost out to the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Since then, there has been a whole saga of events that finally led to Simmons leaving the 76ers and joining the Brooklyn Nets. In light of Simmons’ departure, Embiid explained to Draymond Green how he still does not understand the reason behind Simmons’ choice. Additionally, he also spoke about how the media focused their attention on a few of his statements after the loss to the Hawks which caused a stir.

Joel Embiid on Ben Simmons

In a recent episode on ‘The Draymond Green Show‘, Embiid spoke on the saga between the 76ers and Ben Simmons. He stated that he still believes that he could have won the title together with Simmons. However, he still fails to figure out why the latter departed.

“I always believed that we had a chance to win together. Like I always believe it. Even to this day, I believe that we had a chance to win,” said Embiid.

“I feel like we had a chance, and that’s why I don’t understand what was going on. What caused him to wanna leave? I understand his explanation, but a lot of things don’t make sense,” he added.

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Thereafter, Embiid spoke about how the media skewed his words after the Game 7 press conference. He stated that the media picked out certain words of what he said, instead of what he stated in its entirety. In fact, Embiid also mentioned that he simply stated the events that led to the loss, called out his own mistakes, and even avoided mentioning Simmons’ name for passing up the dunk.

The Philadelphia 76ers Today

Clearly, Embiid still feels that he could have reached the NBA’s mountaintop with Simmons. However, with the latter choosing not to suit up this season, it was Embiid himself who was carrying the team on his shoulders. However, on trade deadline day, there was hope for the Sixers with James Harden’s arrival.

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Together, both Harden and Embiid have been dominant for the franchise so far. They will hope to win as many games as possible with the regular season nearing its end. With the playoffs around the corner, it’s also important that nobody suffers an injury. Regardless of what transpired with Simmons, Embiid’s aim is clear. It is to bring the title to Philly. And that is again a very high possibility with Harden by his side.