Fear for his safety and that of his family prompted Joel Embiid to hesitate in going to Orlando for the NBA season restart. The Sixers star is not fully convinced the bubble city setup will make the players any safer with all the deaths and sickness caused by COVID-19, but he is playing.
One compelling reason for the Philadelphia big man to travel to Florida is the possibility that the Sixers can win, and Embiid said he wants to make his city and family proud.
Notwithstanding, the 26-year-old has expressed valid concern that despite the measures to be implemented by the NBA to keep the virus at bay, there will be holes that the infection can seep in through. Embiid pointed out that not all players and league personnel are disciplined enough to follow the rules, however strict they are.
According to CBS Sports, the Sixers star rightly raised the argument of some guys breaching the bubble rules to have fun and possibly get exposed. And there is no doubt in Embiid's mind that there will be rule breakers in Orlando.
On that account, Embiid said he is fearful for his safety and the people around him.
"I've got family, I've got myself to look out for. That's all I care about," the player was reported as saying, adding that not everything is about basketball.
Embiid shared his thoughts on the matter as he admitted considering opting out of the bubble games but letting Philadelphia and his teammates convinced him otherwise. So he decided that the best thing is to do his job and "hope for best."
As his share in keeping everyone safe, Embiid said he'll keep it simple during the entire time of the season restart. Most likely, he will be at his quarter playing video games, just like when he's at home. But Embiid warned his NBA colleagues are unlikely to do the same.
The sentiments shared by Embiid have elicited mixed reactions. Kendrick Perkins, for instance, labeled the Embiid's thoughts as out of place and concluded that the Sixers man is showing signs of weakness, and unnecessarily so.
However, NBC Sports said Perkins failed to understand what Embiid was trying to convey. The former's reading was lacking on perspective and empathy, which should explain why he missed the point of Embiid's sharing. The Sixers was concerned about his safety, and he is just being honest.
It can be said too that while admitting his fears about the global health crisis, Embiid was not paralyzed by the problem. He decided to offer a solution by contributing to the pandemic relief efforts.
NBC said the donations made by Embiid amounted to $500,000, and that is far from being weak.
