Joel Embiid’s latest stumble against the Celtics didn’t just raise concern for the 76ers - it also brought Bill Simmons into the conversation.
Simmons went after the Philadelphia center on his podcast, taking aim at the way Embiid reacts when he goes to the floor. The criticism was blunt, with Simmons accusing Embiid of playing up injuries and likening the scenes to a kid pretending to be hurt.
“He’s milking an injury where it’s like you’re in first grade watching the kid who keeps pretending he’s hurt… went down like he’d been shot,” Simmons said.
“The falling down, the flopping, it’s just hard to support. This is somebody who’s one of the best 75 players of all time,” the analyst added.
The remarks came after Embiid’s awkward fall in Tuesday’s game against Boston. On the play, he missed a transition layup while trying to draw a foul on Jayson Tatum, then lost his balance and seemed to tweak his ankle as he hit the floor.
He stayed down for a short stretch before getting up and limping to the other end. Paul George also made accidental contact with that same area while going after the rebound. Embiid later headed to the locker room at halftime.
The 76ers did get a lift when he came back for the second half and immediately buried a three-pointer.
Bill Simmons calls out Joel Embiid for exaggerating injuries
— NBABase (@TheNBABase) November 11, 2026
"He’s milking an injury where it’s like you’re in first grade watching the kid who keeps pretending he’s hurt… went down like he’d been shot."
"The falling down, the flopping, it’s just hard to support. This is… pic.twitter.com/GloflSciIq
Before the injury scare, though, Embiid was having a rough night. He missed all six of his field-goal attempts in 17 first-half minutes and went into the break with nine points, five rebounds and two turnovers, leaning heavily on 11 free-throw attempts to build his scoring line.
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