Philadelphia 76ers

Daryl Morey blames ‘shameless Boston media’ for Joel Embiid’s All-Star starter snub

Published by
Peter Dewey

Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey blamed the “shameless Boston media” for Joel Embiid’s snub as an All-Star starter in the 2022-23 season.

The starters from the Eastern Conference were announced on Thursday night. They are Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant, Nets guard Kyrie Irving, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell.

Embiid was not selected over Tatum, Antetokounmpo or Durant for a frontcourt position.

While Morey may believe that the Boston media is the reason Embiid didn’t get the starting nod, the voting for All-Star starters isn’t solely a media vote. In fact, the media only accounts for 25 percent of the vote while the fans get 50 percent and the players make up the final 25 percent.

The NBA released how players fared in each section of the voting, and Embiid may have actually missed the game as a starter because of the fan vote.

In the league’s release, Embiid finished third in player voting among Eastern Conference frontcourt players, fourth in fan voting and third in media voting. The media had Embiid ahead of Kevin Durant in its portion of the vote.

It’s understandable to see that Morey is frustrated that his franchise star didn’t get the start, especially since the Sixers are playing so well this season.

Philly currently has the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 31-16 record. Embiid has been a huge part of that, especially since Tyrese Maxey and James Harden have missed time due to injuries.

A five-time All-Star, Embiid is averaging 33.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.7 blocks per game this season while shooting 53.2 percent from the field and 34.5 percent from beyond the arc.

While he didn’t get voted in as a starter, Embiid should easily make the team as a reserve, especially since he finished so high in the voting for the East’s starters. The Sixers could have multiple All-Star selections if Harden is picked as a reserve as well.

Morey’s comments may have stoked a bit of a fire in the Celtics-Sixers rivalry, which could be extremely interesting this season since both teams are at the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

Peter Dewey

Peter is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where he covered the MAAC and college basketball for three years. He has worked for NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering basketball, football and other major sports. Follow him on Twitter @peterdewey2.

Published by
Peter Dewey

Recent Posts

‘Wtf’: Trae Young reacts to Rashad McCants saying he could score 81 points like Kobe Bryant

Back in January of 2006, former Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant put on one…

4 hours ago

Rashad McCants says he could’ve won ROTY but had a coach who was ‘shaking in the motherf——g huddle’

Former NBA guard Rashad McCants was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the last lottery…

4 hours ago

Chandler Parsons says Jaylen Brown would be best player on over half of NBA teams, including some playoff teams

The Boston Celtics were without maybe their top player for Wednesday's Game 2 versus the…

4 hours ago

‘Spo gonna Spo’: Cavs player gives Erik Spoelstra his flowers after Heat’s near-upset in Game 2

The odds were stacked against the Miami Heat to pick up a win in Game…

4 hours ago

Report: Will Campbell landing with Patriots may depend on whether team gets ‘fair deal’ to trade down

As a consolation prize for a woeful 2024 season that was marred by losing, the…

4 hours ago

Report: ‘Most of the league’ has been contacted about Jalen Ramsey, including Rams, Lions and Eagles

Miami Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey is one of the more notable players in the league…

4 hours ago