76ers' Joel Embiid Brushes Off 'Disrespectful' All-Star Voters
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Joel Embiid had every right to have a chip on his shoulder during Saturday afternoon’s game against the Denver Nuggets. Just a couple of days back, the NBA released the list of ten players that will start in this year’s All-Star Game.
Considering Embiid is once again in the league’s MVP conversation for the third-straight year halfway through the season, one would expect Embiid to be a lock to become an All-Star starter — especially since he’s been in the big showcase’s starting five for the last five seasons.
But Embiid wasn’t a lock. And on Thursday, it became official that the big man would not start in this year’s All-Star game. After a Saturday afternoon matchup against the Denver Nuggets, Embiid addressed the fact that he’s not an All-Star starter for the first time since he made it in 2018.
“I was not surprised,” said Embiid. “I think it’s well documented that I’m not well-liked. That’s cool. I don’t know if it’s because I troll a lot, or I guess I’m an a******, but it’s cool. I’ll keep being me, I’ll keep being an a******, and I’ll keep trolling.”
Over the years, Embiid has felt slighted by media members all around the league and fans that don’t cheer for the 76ers. While he can’t pinpoint the exact reason why he feels like he gets the short end of the stick often compared to other NBA stars, Embiid vows to remain the same moving forward.
“If people don’t like it, that’s their problem,” he continued. “Like I said, it all goes back to winning. When you look at how many times I was an All-Star, they aren’t gonna see he was a starter this many times. Having been a starter for the last five years, it is kind of disrespectful. I don’t think anybody else had a better year than me. Like I said, you focus on the right things, and everything is gonna go well for you.”
Embiid’s first game since his All-Star starter snub was certainly a statement. As the Sixers took on the Western Conference’s top team, the Denver Nuggets, the Sixers climbed back from a double-digit deficit to collect a 126-119 win. Embiid, who checked in for 37 minutes, shot 18-31 from the field. He wrapped up the afternoon with a game-high of 47 points.
“Just trying to be aggressive coming off a bad game from Wednesday,” Embiid finished. “Just wanted to be more aggressive as far as attacking the rim and trying to get us a win.”
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
