Joel Embiid called out the media on Wednesday after reports suggested that the Philadelphia 76ers were left to choose between Embiid and Ben Simmons as the two reportedly have been engaged in an escalating rift.
The 76ers All-Star center refuted the report, saying he loves playing with Simmons and that he would like to see him back on the team.
Tony Kornheiser, co-host of ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption,” was not buying it.
“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics,” Kornheiser said on Wednesday’s show. “And people lie as well. Joel Embiid is lying here.”
Kornheiser supported his claim by pointing to previous comments Embiid has made about not wanting to play with Simmons such as suggesting Simmons does not take enough weight off Embiid’s shoulders in big game situations.
Pablo Torre, Kornheiser’s co-host filing in for Michael Wilbon, also did not believe Embiid but did not go as far as calling him a liar, but rather questioned why he did not speak up sooner.
“I have been wanting so badly to take him at this specific series of words for three months almost,” Torre said. “The question I have is why didn’t you say this anytime sooner?”
Both Kornheiser and Torre speculated that someone within the 76ers may have told Embiid to speak publicly about Simmons, who has demanded a trade from the team, to possibly inflate his value.
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