Embiid, Butler show love to each other after Heat eliminate 76ers
After eliminating the 76ers last night, Jimmy Butler had nothing but love for his former teammate, Joel Embiid. Butler was asked about what he told Embiid following the conclusion of last night’s game and had this to say.
Jimmy Butler on what he told Joel Embiid
“That I love him, I’m proud of him. Yes, yes, yes, I still wish I was on his team. I definitely love the Miami Heat, though, man. I’m glad that I’m here. But I got so much respect and love for Joel Embiid.”
Good lord, talk about adding insult to injury. This series loss was brutal enough, but those words were just an extra barb in the arrow. Obviously, he was totally genuine when talking about his close friend and former teammate. Still, as a fan who loved him during his brief time in Philly, it hurt me physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
“I still wish I was on his team” is not something most people say right after convincingly beating somebody. While it certainly speaks to the quality of their friendship, it says more about the complete ineptitude of the Sixers front office throughout the 2019 offseason.
If you’re like me, you’ve been asking yourself, “how the hell did we let him go?” for the past couple of years. And it seems the MVP runner-up feels the same way.
Naturally, reporters asked Embiid about those comments during his post-game press conference. He echoed the same sentiments as his former teammate almost to a T.
“Obviously that’s my guy, that’s my brother. I mean, it’s tough. But I’m so proud of him. He’s playing at an unreal level right now. He’s something else right now. And I’m proud of him for being at this level and carrying them and what he’s been able to do.”
“I’m happy for him. I won’t sit here and say I didn’t wish he was my teammate. I still don’t know how we let him go. But I wish I could have gone to battle with him still. But it is what it is. Just gotta keep building and keep trying to reach that goal.”
Damn.
This is just tough all around. It already sucks to see Joel so down on himself with all of his injuries, but it’s clear he knows and still thinks about what he and Jimmy could have accomplished as teammates.
And, after last night, it’s obvious Jimmy knows it too.
Mandatory Credit: AP Photo
