One of the Eastern Conference’s biggest feuds finally appears to be in detente.
Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside, who will be playing in this weekend’s annual NBA Africa Game, said on Wednesday that he sat next to Philadelphia 76ers rival Joel Embiid during a media session. Whiteside indicated that he had made peace with Embiid after getting an opportunity to speak with him off the court for the first time, per Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald.
Whiteside said he did today's teleconference with reporters sitting next to Joel Embiid. Says its the first time he and Embiid have had a chance to connect off the court. "I never talked to him off the court. You get a different perspective."
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) August 1, 2018
It was a day of goodwill for Whiteside, who also spoke positively about a meeting he had with Heat coach Erik Spoelstra as well as about his health.
Hassan Whiteside, who is playing in Saturday's NBA Africa Game, said he met with Erik Spoelstra last month for a four-hour meeting at a hotel. "It was two hours basketball; two hours life. We had a great talk. Just trust on both sides. I think that's the best thing." pic.twitter.com/iUEaWEUuoz
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) August 1, 2018
Whiteside on his health: "I feel great. I feel a lot better than I did during the season. I'm completely healed now. I feel like my regular self again."
— Manny Navarro (@Manny_Navarro) August 1, 2018
Whiteside and Embiid had some major beef last season, and the animosity only increased when the two met again in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Whiteside’s Heat lost to Embiid’s Sixers in five games, and the latter dominated his individual matchup against the former.
The two bigs definitely make for a couple of the stronger personalities in the NBA today. But for now, it looks like they have managed to broker a truce.
