Philadelphia 76ers stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were excluded from the 2021 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday night after the two players contacted a guy who tested positive for COVID-19 in Philadelphia, the league announced on Sunday. With the game just hours away, none of the players will be replaced at the event, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The positive test subject was reportedly a barber used by Embiid and Simmons. After an initial inconclusive test, the barber was retested, and the result was also positive.
Embiid and Simmons traveled to Atlanta on Saturday night and have since been quarantined in their respective rooms. At this point, it is not entirely clear how long they will have to remain in quarantine. Given the fact that players from a wide variety of markets will be playing the game, the league does not want to take any chances.
Embiid was selected as the holder of the annual exhibition for the fourth consecutive season, while Simmons was selected as a reserve for the third consecutive year. In the All-Star draft for the game, Embiid was chosen to play for Team Durant, while Simmons was chosen to play for Team LeBron. In place of Embiid in Team Durant’s initial lineup is Zion Williamson, by Wojnarowski.
On Saturday, Embiid announced that he would donate his All-Star game winnings to homeless shelters in Philadelphia.
“Many went through difficult times during the pandemic,” said Embiid in a statement. “I felt it was important to provide more support to individuals and families struggling with homelessness and food insecurity. I am continually grateful for all the support that Philadelphia and fans have given me not only on All-Star, but on all my league years. I’ll continue to help in whatever way I can. ”
The fact that Embiid and Simmons were left out of the event is unfortunate for the fans, who were excited to see the two best players in Philadelphia competing against the other best in the league. The Sixers now have to hope that their two stars remain healthy and will not miss the action of the regular season when the second half resumes. Philadelphia’s first game after the break will be against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday, March 11.