Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid called out Bill Simmons on Tuesday regarding comments the analyst made last month about Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green.
Simmons made headlines after profanely revealing he did not vote Green to the NBA All-Rookie first team on his end-of-season awards ballot. He felt as though there were some more deserving candidates and instead voted for Herb Jones since the New Orleans Pelicans made the playoffs.
The comments by Simmons were understandably not received well by Rockets fans and The Ringer personality was roughed up on social media, as a result. Simmons addressed the backlash and downplayed the situation, adding that the comments were in jest.
Since Simmons’ initial rant, former All-Star Gilbert Arenas and Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green were among those to weigh in and defend Green. They both felt as though Simmons crossed the line with his comments since they believe he has a grudge against Green.
Embiid is the latest player to come to the aid of Green.
He spoke publicly for the first time since it was reported that Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic edged him out in the Most Valuable Player voting. Embiid questioned the voting process and referenced Simmons’ comments on Green.
I go back to what I heard on a podcast about Bill Simmons … It sounded like he had a grudge against somebody, saying, ‘F Jalen Green.’ If you’re going to allow these types of people to vote on these awards, that’s not fair. What if Jalen Green was in a position to earn a supermax (contract), or I don’t know, an All-Star appearance? You’ve got someone sounding like that and has a lot of power. He can sway a lot of other media members and you’ve got someone saying that type of stuff. I don’t think it’s fair. I don’t think it’s OK.
The NBA is in the process of announcing the winners of the end-of-season awards but has yet to reveal the two All-Rookie teams formally. The league previously announced Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes was named the Rookie of the Year.
Green finished fourth in the voting, registering one second-place vote.
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The seasonal voting results often decide certain bonuses and contract extensions for players that receive All-NBA selections. While All-Rookie voting does not factor into potential contracts, the motives of some voters still remain the larger issue.
Media members voting in the postseason awards is expected to be discussed in the next CBA negotiations. A contingent of writers and reporters are uncomfortable with the current dynamics of the voting process and plan to address it.
The brash comments by Simmons certainly invoked an outpouring of support for Green and, hopefully, will serve as a learning moment. Only time will tell if changes are made.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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