Just days after saying he doesn’t care about Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has pleaded with the team’s fans to support the Australian.
After being kicked out of practice earlier in the week, Simmons met with his teammates as well as coach Doc Rivers and the team’s medical staff to explain why he was not mentally prepared to return to the court.
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Ahead of Philadelphia’s home opener against the Brooklyn Nets, Embiid had a message to the home crowd and a word for Simmons as well.
“I urge you guys to continue to support us and our teammate Ben, because he’s still our brother,” he said.
The message to the fans came after Embiid told ESPN prior to the clash against the Nets that the meeting with Simmons had helped ease tensions.
“As a team, we got closer, especially me, it brought up the point of me trying to become a way better leader than I was in the past [and] trying to keep the team together,” he said.
However, it remains to be seen whether Simmons will be accepted back by Philadelphia’s notoriously passionate fans, with many making it clear how they felt about the Aussie.
A number of fans showed up in Simmons jerseys, except with tape covering his name, with one fan writing ‘CLOWN’ over the name instead.
The Wells Fargo Center crowd also unleashed some vociferous boos when the Aussie was briefly shown during a pre-game hype video.
While Simmons’ coach described the meeting as a “productive day” and described it as a “start”, 76ers legend Charles Barkley said there was no way back for the Australian in Philadelphia after his actions this week.
“If he had come to training camp and busted his heart, even last year when he was scared to shoot and wasn’t making free throws, they were giving him some love and trying to encourage him,” Barkley said.
“When he showed up at training camp and didn’t play and didn’t talk to his teammates, it’s over now.”