Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid was snubbed as a starter for the Eastern Conference as the results of fans’ All-Star team voting were released Thursday. Several of Embiid’s 76ers teammates and head coach Doc Rivers came to the big man’s defense following practice on Friday morning.
The #NBAAllStar Eastern Conference Starters:
⭐️ Giannis Antetokounmpo
⭐️ Kevin Durant
⭐️ Donovan Mitchell
⭐️ Jayson Tatum
⭐️ Kyrie Irving pic.twitter.com/B2UDisxSv2— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) January 27, 2023
What Was Said About The Snub?
Embiid is averaging 33.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game this season, and he is shooting 55.8 percent from the field. He leads the league in scoring and is top 15 in rebounding. The 76ers are 31-16, which is good for second in the Eastern Conference standings, and he has played in 35 of the 47 games. Rivers and other 76ers players were not happy with the news that Embiid wasn’t a starter.
“It is what it is, he’s clearly a starter,” said Rivers to the local media after Friday morning practice. “I don’t pay much attention to it, to be honest. It’s the vote thing. I think the voting is flawed the way they do it. I said that for ten years, so I don’t talk about it anymore. I just think it should be the five best guys, and they figure it out. It should be positionless. That’s what the league is. I don’t know what’s taking our league so long to figure it out.”
Georges Niang and Tyrese Maxey agreed with their head coach that the fan voting system is flawed.
“That’s crazy,” said Maxey. “I guess that’s just how the voting goes. We all know that Joel is Joel. He’ll go out there, and maybe he’ll use it as motivation to keep killing. I don’t think he needs much motivation for that, but he’s balling right now. So, kudos to him.”
