Ben Simmons Wishes Former 76ers Teammate Joel Embiid Well

The Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons duo went out on a bad note last season. After Simmons held out for a trade throughout the 2021-2022 season, the three-time All-Star left Philadelphia without really speaking to his fellow All-Star, Embiid.

Now roughly nine months into his tenure as a Brooklyn Net, Simmons confirmed that to this day, he hasn’t shared words with Embiid.

On Tuesday morning, ahead of his return to the Wells Fargo Center to play for the first time since the Sixers’ 2021 playoff run, Simmons mentioned that Embiid and himself aren’t necessarily on bad terms, but they aren’t speaking either.

“You’re not cool with everybody,” Simmons said when asked about his lack of a relationship with Embiid. “You’re not texting everybody. I think there are certain people that you just don’t talk to all the time. I got friends that I don’t talk to all the time, but we’re still cool. That’s just how life went.”

Embiid and Simmons started their on-court partnership in 2017 when Simmons hit the court for his NBA debut after recovering from a foot injury.

For four seasons, the two All-Stars established themselves as a young duo that had a bright future ahead of them. Unfortunately, after coming up short in the second round of the playoffs for the third time in four postseasons, Simmons was ready to move on. Looking back on his time playing alongside Embiid, Simmons has great memories. Therefore, he wishes the star center well.

“A lot of highlights, we got a lot of highlights. We got a lot of great times,” said Simmons. “I got a lot of love for Jo, too. Obviously, it didn’t work out, but that’s life, and not everything works out in your favor. I wish him the best. Obviously, not a championship against us, but the best.”

Simmons and Embiid won’t share the floor on Tuesday night, as the big man is out with a foot sprain for the next two games. The next time Simmons and Embiid could potentially face off against one another will be in January, when the Sixers pay a visit to the Nets for the first time this year.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.