“I’m so disappointed…” Joel Embiid upsets legendary Magic Johnson after sitting out of Nikola Jokic matchup

Magic Johnson was apparently one of the plethora of fans who was disappointed with Embiid's absence.

“I’m so disappointed…” Joel Embiid upsets legendary Magic Johnson after sitting out of Nikola Jokic matchup

Nikola Jokic, Magic Johnson, and Joel Embiid. (Image via Open Source, X)

Fans were left utterly disappointed after one of the biggest games of the NBA’s ‘Rivalry Week’ ended up losing out on most of its sheen. Expected to be a clash between the likes of Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic, two recent MVPs, the game resulted in a straightforward victory for the Nuggets instead.

The Philadelphia 76ers had earlier listed Joel Embiid as available for the matchup. However, Embiid showed up at the arena wearing a denim outfit and had apparently picked up an injury during training. The result was a 111-105 loss for the 76ers and a lot of criticism from the Nuggets’ coaching staff.

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While fans hoping for an epic clash were bound to be disappointed, it seems as if the legendary Magic Johnson was also among those left frustrated after Embiid’s absence. Following the game, he wrote the following on X:

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I’m so disappointed that I won’t get to see Jokic vs Embiid, as Embiid announced he won’t be playing. But I’m excited to watch the showdown of stars LeBron James and Steph Curry at 5:30! The Lakers and the Warriors have been struggling, so this could be a season-changing win for either team!

Hence, while the Embiid-Jokic clash turned out anti-climactic, Johnson decided to get his kick from watching his former team take on the Warriors. After all, the LeBron James-Stephen Curry clash can always promise excitement, regardless of the state of either team.

Magic Johnson is not the only one to criticize Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid has a concerning history when it comes to injuries. While nobody doubts his talent and ability, the player is largely considered injury-prone and ended up mysteriously missing out against the Nuggets. Michael Malone, the Nuggets’ head coach, went as far as saying that the league should simply investigate the matter.

Embiid is crucial for the 76ers. (Image via SI)

He claimed that he had no idea how someone could go from being active to missing out completely, and sarcastically questioned the absence:

I don’t know how you go from being active, available, to out. I’m sure the league will do their due diligence. Because that’s frowned upon. And we’ve had situations this year where we’ve talked to the league, and they told us if a player goes from active to out, there’s going to be an investigation.

Hence, Embiid might as well have people to answer for the latest game that he sat out of. The league has already changed rules regarding the availability of superstars in their regular season, and may as well have a point to be made.

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