Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid said Friday night that club executives, not his health, prevented him from playing two days earlier in Washington, describing the decision as “pissing” him off and singling out president of basketball operations Daryl Morey.
Embiid returned to the lineup at Wells Fargo Center and produced 19 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists in 34 minutes during a 109-96 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Speaking with reporters afterward, the center revisited Wednesday’s scratch, which the team attributed to an illness.
“I wanted to be on the floor,” Embiid said. “I wasn’t allowed. If you want to know why, ask Daryl Morey and whoever else makes those calls.”
Timeline of the disagreement
According to Embiid, he felt sick while playing Monday in Miami but intended to suit up against the Wizards, a club chasing Philadelphia in the Eastern Conference standings. He added that he slept poorly Tuesday night, missed Wednesday’s morning shootaround and later discovered on social media that he had been ruled out.
“Seeing it online caught me off guard,” he noted. “It doesn’t matter what I think—they run the show and I have to follow.”
The 76ers and their franchise player have long limited public details about his health issues. In this instance, however, Embiid’s public comments underscored a rare split between player and front office regarding his availability.
What’s next for Philadelphia
Friday’s victory kept the Sixers in the No. 6 spot in the East. The club faces a three-game, five-day stretch that begins Saturday at home against Detroit before road contests in San Antonio on Monday and Houston on Thursday.
Source: Hoops Rumors
