Month: February 2022

Donald Trump must be feeling the heat from the Jan. 6th Committee’s ongoing investigation into the attack on Capitol Hill because the twice-impeached former president literally cannot stop talking about the insurrection and his role in it.

Over the weekend, Trump held a rally basically inviting his followers to rise up and stage massive protests across the country, should he be found guilty of anything by the group of (via Raw Story) investigators looking into his involvement in the planned siege. He also admitted in a press release to pressuring former Vice President Mike Pence into overturning the election in his favor. Of course, Pence refused to do that — he didn’t have the power to anyway — and now Trump seems to be focused on throwing his old partner under the bus in an attempt to save his own skin.

In another press release posted on Twitter by Trump’s latest spokeswoman, Liz Harrington, the disgraced ex-president urged lawmakers to look into why Pence didn’t send the vote back for “approval” after widespread evidence of voter fraud. To be clear, Pence didn’t have that authority and Trump’s claims of voter fraud were shot down in court after court, by judges he had installed. Still, the Florida retiree seems pretty hung-up on Pence’s failure to back his wild, seditious scheme and Nancy Pelosi’s failure to secure the Capitol during the riots.

Of course, if Trump thought Pelosi should’ve asked for more troops to guard Capitol Hill during the MAGA uprising, that must mean his own followers committed the kind of violence, vandalism, and property damage, which would go against his previous claims that Jan. 6th wasn’t that big of a deal.

(Via Raw Story)

Wet Leg have been on a world-smashing rampage on the strength of just four songs and we can’t look away. The Isle Of Wight duo of Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers have their debut album coming out on April 8th. Now, the newly released visual for “Oh No” marks an #achievementunlocked of having a music video for each of those first four singles.

Filmed in their hometown, the clip was filmed in at the base camp of a funicular. Always with their wits about them, Teasdale and Chambers are wearing costumes made of rope that make them look like giant mops. As the clip plays over the song’s punishing guitar hook, screenshots of comments left on the band’s other videos flash across the screen; positive, negative and downright insane ones.

Teasdale commented on the concept — that the band directed — in a statement:

“It’s been a pretty wild ride for us these past few months, we never really thought much past actually making music and playing gigs. It’s quite an odd thing to suddenly open yourself to so much criticism and praise alike. The comments that complete strangers will leave on our videos are so funny and range wildly in sentiment. Although we know it is bad for us to read them and we try to avoid it, sometimes it’s irresistible when you’re on your own; the 3am doom scroll really gets you. For this video, we have obsessively selected our favorite bits from the comments sections across our socials, the good, the bad, the ugly and have repurposed them to make something new — it has been quite cathartic actually.”

Watch the video for “Oh No” above.

Wet Leg is out 4/8 via Domino Records. Pre-order it here.

With only one more season of Better Call Saul left to go, Bob Odenkirk is about to have lots of free time. And what do you do when you have free time? You connect with old friends: Odenkirk is reuniting with Mr. Show co-creator, co-star, and real-life buddy David Cross on a new “docu-style comedy” series for Paramount Plus.

Guru Nation will see the Better Call Saul and Arrested Development stars as “rival cult gurus manipulating the minds of their deluded followers,” according to Deadline. “It will be directed by Jason Woliner, who directed Borat 2.” Bob’s comedy writer brother Bill, who has penned scripts for The Simpsons and Futurama, is also attached to the project.

It’s good to see Odenkirk back out there again after his heart attack in July 2021. “I am doing great. I’ve had my very own ‘It’s a wonderful life’ week of people insisting I make the world slightly better. Wow! Thank you, I love everyone right now but let’s keep expectations reasonable!” he tweeted less than two weeks after he was in the hospital. In September 2021, he wrote, “Back to work on Better Call Saul! So happy to be here and living this specific life surrounded by such good people.”

Neither Better Call Saul season six nor Guru Nation have a premiere date.

(Via Deadline)

Kristen Bell‘s new Netflix show The Woman In The House Across The Street From The Girl In The Window, despite being a mouthful, is also a pretty accurate satire of women in psychological fiction. As with any realistic portrayal these days, there is also an over-the-top sex scene in episode five of the first season (spoiler alert).

Fans took to social media to discuss the scene, including poor Twitter user Eric, who just wanted to watch the thriller/comedy with his girlfriend and mother…which was a mistake.

Bell found the Tweet, probably in response to some sort of viral marketing every Netflix show needs to invest in these days, and responded a heartfelt “Hahahahaha sorry dude,” to which our good friend Eric requested she apologize to his mother.

The Woman In The House Across The Street From The Girl In The Window is Netflix’s humorous take on several women-led physiological dramas, like The Woman In The Window and The Girl On The Train, mixed in with some unreliable narrator perspective and a whole lot of red wine.

The show stars Bell as Anna Whitaker, an artist who takes time off to heal after the death of her daughter and her divorce. She suffers from “ombrophobia”AKA fear of the rain, which causes her to stay inside all day, until she ultimately believes she witnesses a murder across the street. The miniseries also stars Michael Ealy and Umbrella Academy’s Cameron Britton. You can catch every episode streaming now on Netflix.

The War On Drugs are on the midst of a tour, but it hasn’t been without snags. They band has had to alter some of their plans for COVID-related reasons, including dropping openers from the trek. Now, the band has some more tour changes to announce, but these ones are good: They’ve rescheduled some dates and added some completely new ones.

A pair of shows in Atlanta and another in Nashville are not set for May 21, 23, and 25, respectively. Those shows immediately precede a run of new dates during the first couple weeks of June, which includes stops in Oklahoma, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, New York, and North Carolina.

Find the band’s upcoming tour dates, which include a stop at Boston’s House Of Blues tonight, below.

02/01 — Boston, MA @ House of Blues
02/02 — Washington, DC @ Anthem
02/04 — Columbus, OH @ KEMBA Live!
02/05 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
02/06 — Newport, KY @ PromoWest Pavilion at Ovation
02/08 — Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore
02/10 — Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
02/11 — Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
02/12 — Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater
02/13 — Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theater
02/15 — St. Paul , MN @ Palace Theatre
02/16 — St. Paul, MN @ Palace Theatre
02/18 — Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
02/19 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union
02/21 — Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
02/22 — Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
02/23 — Portland, OR @ Theater of the Clouds
02/25 — San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
02/26 — Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Auditorium
03/22 — Helsinki, FI @ Helsinki Ice Hall
03/24 — Stockholm, SE @ Annexet
03/25 — Stockholm, SE @ Annexet
03/27 — Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene
03/28 — Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene
03/29 — Oslo, NO @ Sentrum Scene
03/30 — Copenhagen, DK @ KB Hallen
03/31 — Copenhagen, DK @ KB Hallen
04/02 — Berlin, DE @ Verti Music Hall
04/04 — Zurich, CH @ Halle 622
04/05 — Milano, IT @ Alcatraz
04/07 — München, DE @ Zenith
04/09 — Paris, FR @ L’Olympia
04/11 — Birmingham, UK @ 02 Academy Birmingham
04/12 — London, UK @ The O2 Arena
04/14 — Dublin, IE @ 3 Arena
04/16 — Leeds, UK @ First Direct Arena
04/17 — Edinburgh, UK @ Edinburgh Corn Exchange
04/18 — Edinburgh, UK @ Edinburgh Corn Exchange
04/20 — Köln, DE @ Palladium
04/21 — Wiesbaden, DE @ Schlachthof
04/22 — Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome
04/23 — Antwerp, BE @ Sportpaleis
05/22 — Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle *
05/23 — Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle *
05/25 — Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium *
06/04 — Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom ^
06/05 — Kansas City, MO @ Grinders ^
06/06 — St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant ^
06/08 — Indianapolis, IN @ TCU Amphitheater ^
06/09 — Cleveland, OH @ Jacob’s Pavilion ^
06/10 — Lafayette, NY @ Beak and Skiff ^
06/11 — Buffalo, NY @ Artpark ^
06/13 — Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater ^
06/14 — Charlotte, NC @ Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre ^
06/15 — Asheville, NC @ Rabbit Rabbit ^
06/17 — Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival 2022
06/30 — Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter 2022
07/01 — Hamburg, DE @ Stadtpark-Open-Air-Bühne
07/01-03 — Ewijk, NL @ Down The Rabbit Hole 2022
07/06 — Lisbon, PT @ NOS Alive 2022
07/08 — Madrid, ES @ Mad Cool Festival 2022

* rescheduled show
^ newly added show

The War On Drugs is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Ever since the start of the Verzuz hits battle web show during the lockdown of 2020, one person plenty of people wanted to see step on the stage is Nicki Minaj. Lil Kim said that she’d want to battle Nicki considering their history during the BET Awards red carpet last year, and surely fans agree. However, until now, Nicki herself hadn’t addressed the possibility of a Verzuz or who her own idea opponent would be.

This week, though, Houston radio station 97.9 The Box managed to get Nicki on-record pondering a potential matchup when she stopped by the Good Morning H-Town radio show to promote her upcoming single with Lil Baby. During the interview, Nicki shot down the idea of doing a battle against either of her Young Money compatriots Drake and Lil Wayne on the grounds that they’re more firmly established in hip-hop (arguable). But see, Drake and Wayne have so many bona fide hip-hop hits, so I don’t know,” she said, before giving hope. “But I do think there might be a female or two that can…[battle me].”

While she didn’t elaborate on which ones she thought would make it a decent battle (come on, now, the list is like… Cardi B and maybe Doja Cat or Megan Thee Stallion), she did reveal that she’d had conversations with the show’s organizers Swizz Beats and Timbaland. “They were talking to me about it,” she said. “If it’s going to be fun, then you never know. That’s all I’ll say about that. It should feel like a celebration, that’s exactly what I would like it to feel like. Fun, happiness. Because a lot of times with my career, stuff would feel like work. And now I’m just like, ‘No. Everything needs to feel good. That’s it.’”

It’s been about five months since R. Kelly was found guilty of his racketeering and sex trafficking charges and sentenced to eight years in prison, but he’s been behind bars without bail since his 2019 arrest. That means the disgraced R&B has spent the entirety of the pandemic in jail — and he’s just now tested positive for COVID-19.

Kelly caught COVID while in a federal jail in Brooklyn, according to a report from Rolling Stone. While his attorneys haven’t given an update on the status of the singer’s health, a judge did grant him an important extension due to his positive COVID test. US District Judge Ann M. Donnelly ruled on Tuesday that Kelly can have an extra two weeks to file an appeal in his federal racketeering case. That means he has until February 17 to formally fight his September conviction which found him guilty of all eight counts of child sex trafficking and one count of federal racketeering.

Kelly’s new lawyer, Jennifer Bonjean informed the court of the singer’s COVID status, saying it interfered with his ability to participate in his appeal. “It is vitally important that Mr. Kelly meaningfully participate in his post-trial defense,” Bonjean wrote in an official letter to the court. “The (jail) has not indicated when visits will resume which is less than ideal, but undersigned counsel is confident that she can accomplish necessary discussions with Mr. Kelly via upcoming scheduled Zoom visits.”

I have no shame in admitting that I live up to some most LA stereotypes. I live off of avocado toast and kombucha, spend more time curating my Instagram feed than I probably should, and struggle with dressing for temperatures below 50 degrees. But unlike most Angelenos these days, I actually grew up here.

Having lived in LA most of my life, I know which of the city’s many tourist attractions are worth seeing and which are totally overrated. Hollywood Walk of Fame? Don’t do it. Rodeo Drive? Meh. So I’m the perfect person to offer advice for anyone coming to town for Super Bowl LVI, happening at SoFi Stadium on February 13th. With that aim, I’m giving you the inside scoop today on which classic LA tourist attractions you should make time for before kickoff.

From Santa Monica to Downtown LA to Echo Park, keep reading below for every popular LA marvel to add to your Super Bowl weekend itinerary.

HIKE RUNYON CANYON

Runyon Canyon in Hollywood is the best way to get some fresh air (er, smog), exercise the Super Bowl Sunday hangover away, and see one of the best views in LA. You might even see a handful of celebs and influencers getting their workout in. There are a few different trail options you can take at Runyon — varying in difficulty and length — but all of them are doable for any fitness level (the full trail is a 2.7-mile loop).

You’ll pass through the iconic Hollywood Hills and get a glimpse of the luxurious homes and backyards of the city’s most wealthy and well-known citizens. There are several viewpoints on your way to the top, where you’ll get a panoramic view of the entire city — including the Hollywood Sign and the Downtown skyline. On an especially clear day, you might even see the Pacific Ocean from the top of the hike.

Runyon Canyon is always my number one recommendation when people come into town. Even I still do it fairly often when I need to trade in my favorite dimly lit hot yoga class for some exercise in the sunshine.

Why It’s Actually Cool & Not Corny:

There really is no better place to take in the entire city of LA than at the top of Runyon Canyon. It’s an incredible spot for photo opportunities and getting the most out of LA’s year-round great weather.

SANTA MONICA PIER

I’ve been going to Santa Monica Pier since I was a child, and it’s still one of my favorite places to spend an afternoon or evening. Granted, it is one of the most crowded tourist attractions in LA, but if you make good use of your time there it’s well worth it. Between the rides, restaurants, and street performers, there’s always something interesting to see and do. The Ferris wheel is a must for first-timers. It’s a romantic ride for couples and a fun time for families and friends. Great first kiss spot, too. Plus, the view at the top is great — ocean on one side and traffic-packed madness on the other.

My go-to restaurant on the pier is Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, a Forest Gump-themed seafood chain (this part is maybe a little corny/ nostalgic) that offers a memorable dining experience and a decent view of the beach depending on where you sit. For dessert, head to the arcade area of the pier and order yourself a hot funnel cake with powdered sugar. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

Why It’s Actually Cool & Not Corny:

Ocean views, carnival rides, and delicious food and drinks all in one place — it’s the quintessential LA scene.

THE BROAD

The Broad is an art museum in the heart of Downtown LA that features a collection of contemporary art from the 1950s to the present. The building itself is a work of art with geometric designs and eye-catching angles. Inside, you’ll find 2,000 works in The Broad collection by more than 200 artists throughout the museum’s various exhibitions.

Some of The Broad’s most notable pieces, as seen across museum-goers’ Instagram feeds, include Jeff Koons’s “Balloon Dog” and Robert Therrien’s “Under the Table.” The modern art museum also features works by some of art’s biggest names, such as Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat. In addition to traditional art pieces, you can get an immersive experience through Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms. The mirror-lined chambers with flashing LED lights make you feel like you’re in another world.

Why It’s Actually Cool & Not Corny:

Overall, The Broad is an excellent way to fill an afternoon in LA with creativity and inspiration. It also gives you an opportunity to explore downtown.

ECHO PARK LAKE

Echo Park Lake is a lesser-known tourist location, but it’s well worth a visit, especially on a nice day. With walking paths surrounding the central pond (complete with cascading fountains), some local street food vendors, a clear view of the downtown skyline, and plenty of room to lounge in the grass, Echo Park offers a relaxing way to spend an afternoon outside.

The best part, though? The pedal boats. Swan-shaped pedal boats! You can rent the boats through Wheel Fun Rentals and take them for a ride out on the lake. I’ve done this several times now, and it never gets old. I’ve even done it alone before — it was a lot more of a workout and I got some questionable looks, but I was enjoying myself!

Why It’s Actually Cool & Not Corny:

Echo Park delivers a little bit of everything. It’s the perfect spot to wind down after the excitement of the big game. Pack yourself a picnic, bask in the Southern California sunshine, and enjoy the palm trees and skyline views from the middle of the lake.

VENICE BEACH BOARDWALK

Venice Beach is one of the most iconic tourist destinations in the city. Not only is it the stereotypical beach town full of laidback vibes and bros who started chillin’ in 92 and still haven’t stopped (they even have the vintage rollerblades to show for it), but it’s also the most eccentric and vibrant area in all of LA. As I said in my budget travel guide to Venice Beach, the boardwalk is probably one of the top people-watching spots in the world.

There are tons of art and jewelry vendors, street performers, boutique shops, restaurants, and rooftop bars that’ll keep you busy and entertained for the entire day. Bring your board and check out the famous Venice Beach Skate Park if you’re feeling adventurous.

Why It’s Actually Cool & Not Corny:

In my opinion, the Venice Beach boardwalk is where the city feels most alive. There’s just good energy blowing through the salty ocean air that puts you in a carefree, joyous mood.

THE GETTY CENTER

The Getty Center takes slightly more time to get to than the other attractions. It’s located at the top of a hill that’s only accessible by tram, but it’s 100 percent worth the extra effort. The Getty Center is an art museum (with free admission!) that displays works from the middle ages to today. But it’s not only the extensive art collection that makes The Getty a must on your LA itinerary.

The building itself puts modern architecture on full display. With grand geometric designs made of sleek white stones and textures, you can spend a chunk of your time there just gawking at the museum building. Plus, the property is surrounded by walkable exquisite gardens and city views.

Why It’s Actually Cool & Not Corny:

Whether you want to browse world-renowned art exhibits, explore the property’s unusually designed gardens, or take in the panoramic views and architecture, Getty Center has something for everyone to enjoy.

GRIFFITH OBSERVATORY

If you’re a fan of La La Land, you might recognize Griffith Observatory as Emma Stone‘s and Ryan Gosling‘s characters’ go-to meeting spot. It’s also the location of other TV shows, commercials, and famous flicks, such as James Dean’s Rebel Without a Cause.

If you make it to Griffith Park during the observatory building’s operating hours, you can head inside to look through telescopes, explore exhibits, and see a live show in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium (if you’re traveling with kids, they’ll love the planetarium). The exhibits are great, but I prefer to visit at sunset or at night. The unbeatable views, walking trails, large grass areas to hang out in, and the beautifully lit observatory building make it a top-tier LA attraction for tourists and locals alike.

Why It’s Actually Cool & Not Corny:

Whether you’re a film junkie, a space nerd, or someone who appreciates a nice view, you should make the trip up to Griffith Observatory. You might not be able to see actual stars at Griffith Observatory without a telescope thanks to the luminescent city below, but the view is somehow still equally as beautiful. It makes sense why they call LA the city of stars when you’re looking down on the twinkling lights from a distinguished movie location.

GRAND CENTRAL MARKET

When you’re done checking out The Broad museum, head to Downtown LA’s Grand Central Market. The historic public market first opened its doors in 1917, and it’s still serving some of the best cuisines the city has to offer today. The market features 40 food stalls featuring a wide range of locally-owned restaurants and up-and-coming vendors. You’ll find everything from fried chicken and ramen to tacos, oysters, barbecue, and even gourmet PB&J sandwiches.

Why It’s Actually Cool & Not Corny:

As the Grand Central Market accurately puts it, “The Market is a microcosm of the historic immigrant communities that have shaped Los Angeles and a mosaic of the creativity and vision of the people who call this city home.” With diverse cuisine options and a lively environment, everyone you’re traveling with can find something to savor here.

MELROSE PLACE

West Hollywood is easily the trendiest neighborhood in LA, and Melrose Place is the heart of it all. It’s a small stretch of cafes, high-end stores, and eateries off of Melrose Ave. and La Cienega Blvd. If you’re in search of Instagrammable backdrops, luxury shopping, overpriced coffee shops (that are totally worth it for cute decor and coffee cups, duh!), and an endless stream of influencers passing by, Melrose Place is your dream Los Angeles destination.

While you’re in the area, you need to make a stop at Alfred Coffee — Alfred Tea Room across the street for the pink-obsessed and the non-coffee drinkers — Glossier, Mansur Gavriel, Croft Alley, and Love Shack Fancy. Even if you’re not ready to blow cash on couture clothing, it’s worth visiting for some light bites and leisurely window shopping.

Why It’s Actually Cool & Not Corny:

Melrose Place gives you a glimpse of LA’s more glamourous side without the unbearable crowds of Rodeo Drive.

Just when you think Donald Trump has hit rock bottom on the dumbest things a man in his position—a.k.a. a former president who many believe tried to upend democracy as we know it—could do, he somehow finds a way to sink even lower. Though it’s been more than a year since the former reality TV host was ousted from the White House, Trump still seems as intent as ever on making sure that his lasting legacy is as the man who led a coup that turned American democracy on its head.

On Monday night, Seth Meyers dedicated his “A Closer Look” segment to Trump’s current “pro-coup movement,” which has seen the former POTUS brazenly state that he did want to see Mike Pence (who he hasn’t spoken to in months) overturn the TOTALLY LEGITIMATE results of the 2020 presidential election—and that if he’s elected in 2024, one of his first moves will be to pardon some of the Capitol insurrectionists. So much for playing it cool!

As Meyers explained:

“For a year now, Trump and his cronies have insisted—ludicrously—that January 6th was not an insurrection, and that all they were trying to do was follow the law. At one point Trump even referenced a debunked theory that Thomas Jefferson had supposedly used his power to make himself president.”

(Note to Trump: If you’re going to compare yourself to another president to make yourself look better, Jefferson isn’t really the guy you want.)

“But one thing you can always count on with Trump is that eventually he’ll tire himself out and just confess,” Meyers said. “He can’t help it. He just blurts it out.” And his involvement in the January 6th attacks on the Capitol is no different. Over the weekend, Trump issued a statement noting:

“If the vice president (Mike Pence) had ‘absolutely no right’ to change the Presidential Election results in the Senate, despite fraud and many other irregularities, how come the Democrats and RINO Republicans like Wacky Susan Collins, are desperately trying to pass legislation that will not allow the vice president to change the results of the election? Actually, what they are saying is that Mike Pence did have the right to change the outcome, and they now want to take that right away. Unfortunately, he didn’t exercise that power, he could have overturned the Election!”

Meyers’ amused takeaway from this entire debacle is that “there’s no crime Trump could commit that he wouldn’t later confess to. He just exhausts all the excuses until he decides, ‘Screw it, I’m guilty, baby!’”

You can watch the full clip above.

The Philadelphia 76ers are currently third in the East at 31-19 on the season, just a half-game back of the Bulls and Heat for first in the conference. It is an impressive feat for a team that has played all 50 games thus far without a player who occupies $33 million of their salary cap this year, as Ben Simmons’ holdout continues on with the trade deadline less than two weeks away.

The general consensus seems to be that it’s more likely than not that Simmons is still on the Sixers roster once the February 10 trade deadline comes and goes, as Daryl Morey is intent on still getting star return for Simmons and the market has cooled as the Sixers asking price has remained incredibly high. Things can change in 10 days, but as of this moment, there isn’t an awful lot of optimism about a resolution to the current situation in Philly coming any time soon.

As such, we are provided seemingly daily updates about the stalemate between Simmons and the Sixers, where neither party is blameless for the situation they find themselves in, or the fact that reconciliation is just about impossible at this point. The latest from the Simmons camp comes from ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, who published a lengthy piece on Tuesday about how Simmons has been approaching the last few months and spoke with some close to the star about how it got to this point.

The most interesting tidbits in the piece are insights into specifics of Simmons’ frustration, including thinking Doc Rivers and the Sixers could have done more to visit him in L.A. even though he was not returning calls or texts. There’s also a nugget about his frustration with Joel Embiid’s comments after last year’s loss to the Hawks, in which the star big man called out Simmons’ refusal to take a late layup, that notes Simmons was upset by that because he felt he could’ve done the same to Embiid in 2019 after the loss to the Raptors in the playoffs but didn’t.

According to sources close to Simmons, he’s upset that Embiid seemed to blame him for last season’s playoff loss, when Simmons did not blame Embiid for Embiid’s poor showing in the playoffs against the Toronto Raptors in 2019.

That passage raised a lot of eyebrows because, while Embiid did struggle with his efficiency in the Toronto series (he shot just 37 percent from the field in that series), he was playing through a meniscus tear and had to get IV fluids before games in the Raptors series due to illness. And still, despite a generally poor shooting performance and questionable health, he was the most impactful Sixer in terms of dictating team success in that series, as Philly was a +90 in his minutes on the court during the series (only Jimmy Butler was also a positive throughout the 7-game series).

In fairness to Simmons, in the Atlanta series a year ago, Philly was a +29 when he was on the court and a -9 in non-Simmons minutes. Still, you’d be hard pressed to find many others who would pin much on Embiid for that 2019 exit, and Simmons’ free throw issues and reluctance to even attempt to score were front and center in the biggest moment of that Hawks series.

If anything, this latest round of reporting only further cements the fact that there isn’t a path forward to reconciliation for Simmons and the Sixers, if for no other reason than it’s clear that he and Joel Embiid, for however complementary their games are, are not able or willing to coexist at the moment. Embiid fully embraced the Jimmy Butler Method of leadership, in which you push buttons and publicly motivate (or criticize, depending on your viewpoint) your teammates into being the best version of themselves. He has spent this season trying to show how well that works, publicly pushing Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle to be more willing shooters and then proudly talking about the success of “calling guys out” and noting that it’s all in love, something he’s insisted was the case with any commentary about Simmons.