Košarkarji Philadelphie so na prvi tekmi končnice proti Brooklynu doživeli neprijetno presenečenje, saj so na domači tekmi izgubili s 102:111 in tako v seriji izgubili prednost tekme več na svojem parketu. Mrežice so zasluženo zmagale, vodile so večji del tekme. Da bi bilo ogorčenje domačih navijačev, ki so svoje ljubljence z igrišča pospremili z žvižgi, še večje, je poskrbel prvi zvezdnik moštva Joel Embiid.
Kamerunca, ki je bil zaradi težav s kolenom vprašljiv za tekmo, a je kasneje vseeno zaigral, so namreč kamere v četrti četrtini ujele pri gledanju na telefon soigralca Amirja Johnsona, boj na parketu pa ga očitno ni pretirano zanimal.
Amir Johnson and Joel Embiid reading a text message as the Sixers trail in Game 1. pic.twitter.com/FIt50fO3Sa
— Sporting News (@sportingnews) April 13, 2019
"To je povsem nesprejemljivo. S tem bomo opravili interno v klubu in to zelo hitro," je največjemu zvezdniku moštva zagrozil trener Philadelphie Brett Brown. Embiid je v svojo obrambo izjavil: "Na telefon sem pogledal samo zato, ker mi je Amir dejal, da je njegova hči zelo bolna. Preverjal je, kako je z njo."
Sixers coach Brett Brown on Joel Embiid & Amir Johnson looking at cell phone on bench during Game 1 loss to Nets: "It's completely unacceptable and we will deal with it internally, very soon. It's not something we are and certainly don't condone." pic.twitter.com/oau1n7qj5G
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) April 13, 2019
"I just looked down because he said his daughter was extremely sick, and he was checking on her."
— ESPN (@espn) April 13, 2019
—Joel Embiid on why he was looking at Amir Johnson's phone on the bench pic.twitter.com/xwZyKnnQ9f
