The NBA’s All-Star Weekend is known for many things—food, parties, fashion statements, great memes, awesome gifs, even a little basketball. It’s also a hotbed for tampering.
How could it not be? Put that many agents, team executives and league officials in the same vicinity, and some risque discussions are bound to take place.
All-Star participants, of course, are the most frequent offenders. The league doesn’t fine players for tampering like they do team executives. It’s too hard to police those conversations between peers. That’s why so many players seize the opportunity afforded to them by All-Star Weekend and use it as a recruiting forum.
Joel Embiid knows what I’m talking about. He apparently used his extra face-time with Giannis Antetokounmpo to sell his fellow superstar on a future with the Philadelphia 76ers. No, this isn’t a rumor. It comes straight from Antetokounmpo himself, per the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel‘s Matt Velazquez:
He also mentioned talking with Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, although that conversation didn’t have as much depth to it.
“He told me I should trust the process and come play for Philly,” Antetokounmpo said with a chuckle, drawing a laugh. “That was my reaction — I just laughed.”
Okay, this seems innocent enough. Embiid recruits everyone worth a damn—including LeBron James. This is no different. He was probably just kidding. At the same time, he probably wasn’t. This is Joel Embiid we’re talking about for crying out loud. He says things that appear to come in jest, yet we know enough about him to also know anytime he utters “Trust The Process,” he’s being wholly, completely, totally serious.
All of which means the Milwaukee Bucks should probably watch their backs. Antetokounmpo doesn’t hit free agency until 2021, but Joel Embiid is laying the groundwork for his relocation now.
