Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons Will Miss All-Star Game After Their Barber Tested Positive for COVID (UPDATE)
Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid may be ineligible for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game after their barber tested positive for COVID-19. Simmons and Embiid are currently quarantined in their Atlanta hotel rooms while the players and league are await further test results before a final determination is made.
The exposure occurred with Embiid and Simmons‘ personal barber who had a positive test result and is awaiting another test. Both traveled by themselves on private planes, and had no exposure to other players or people down in Atlanta bubble. https://t.co/PeiSFzzPZS
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 7, 2021
UPDATE: Simmons and Embiid are out tonight.
NBA confirms that Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid will not play tonight due to contact with person positive for COVID pic.twitter.com/hl7vjrcrqg
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) March 7, 2021
This is exactly the kind of thing that the league was hoping to avoid when they decided to play the All-Star Game at all. Not that this has anything to do with traveling to Atlanta. The same thing could or would have happened if the Sixers were off for the weekend.
The weirdest part is that this is the same thing that happened to the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of the Super Bowl. Another barber! What are the odds? The stakes are obviously lower here, but the important thing is that everyone involved is healthy.
The good news for the league is that Embiid and Simmons are on opposite teams so they don't need to juggle the rosters. Simmons is on Team LeBron and Embiid is a member of Team Durant.