All-Star Sunday is off to a rocky start, especially for 76ers fans.
According to NBA insider Shams Charania, Philadelphia 76ers All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons may not be able to partake in the All-Star Game due to contract tracing from exposure to COVID-19.
Charania added that the positive test came from their personal barber, who is awaiting further testing. Neither Embiid nor Simmons had been exposed to any other players or people in the Atlanta All-Star bubble, as they traveled separately on private planes.
According to Marc Stein of The New York Times, 76ers head coach Doc Rivers, who is also a head coach in the All-Star Game, isn't too optimistic regarding their availability.
Embiid was voted as an All-Star starter, garnering the third-highest total votes from fans in the Eastern frontcourt behind Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo. His 30.2 points per game is the highest mark of his career to this point, and currently ranks second in the NBA, trailing only Bradley Beal (32.9). This makes four straight All-Star appearances for the star center.
Simmons was chosen as an All-Star reserve in the East. Strong defense and all-around contributions allowed Simmons to earn his third consecutive All-Star berth.
Embiid was selected by Team Durant, while Simmons was chosen relatively early in the pool of reserve players by Team LeBron.
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