Joel Embiid and PJ Tucker reacted after Jimmy Butler called Tucker a 'traitor' for leaving the Heat to sign with the Sixers.
PJ Tucker has been a very coveted player in the past two offseasons. The 2021 NBA champion was a sought-after asset after helping the Milwaukee Bucks win the championship last year. He went to the Miami Heat, where things didn't go in their favor, but Tucker also left his mark there.
This offseason, many teams were linked with a move to him, but Tucker had made up his mind and wanted to join the Philadelphia 76ers. He eventually did it, teaming up with former teammate James Harden and MVP candidate Joel Embiid.
The Sixers are in a great position to compete for the 2023 NBA title, but the rest of the Eastern Conference will try to bring them down. With Tucker's departure, some within the Miami Heat organization were mad, especially Jimmy Butler.
Joel Embiid And PJ Tucker React To Jimmy Butler Calling Tucker A “Traitor”
Jimmy Buckets never hid his unhappiness with Tucker's decision to leave, even cursing PJ and Joel Embiid out on social media. More recently, he called Tucker a 'traitor' for joining the Sixers. Tucker and Embiid were asked about Butler's comments, and while PJ didn't know Butler called him that, Embiid explained why the defensive specialist decided to join the Sixers.
"He [Jimmy] said something today? Oh my god. What did he say? Oh, JB," Tucker said while laughing.
Embiid also had a fun reaction to these words, but he went further and praised his team, saying that was the reason why Tucker joined them.
"He [Tucker] went to the good side, where the good people are," Embiid said, knocking and Butler and the Heat. "It's good to have PJ on the team. I felt good about taking him from Jimmy because they beat us last year. So, Jimmy is gonna have to do way more than he did last year. He's probably going to tell me that, but we shall see. But, you know, they're all my guys, as everybody knows, Jimmy is my guy and I wish everybody good luck, and it should be a good season."
The Sixers and Heat could star in another memorable series this season. Many factors would make this matchup a special one, and now that Tucker has history on both teams, things can only get interesting if these two teams clash in the 2023 NBA playoffs.
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