In the latest development in what has grown to be one of the weirder and most annoying stories in the NBA thus far this season, apparently the Philadelphia 76ers wanted to clear the air about Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson, Ben Simmons, and the fine line between mentoring and tampering.
Ramona Shelburne of ESPN reports that Elton Brand has reached out to Magic to apologize for potentially making it seem like the Lakers initiated discussion of this meeting.
Elton Brand called Magic Johnson Monday afternoon to apologize for insinuating that the Lakers had called —unprompted— to ask permission for Johnson to speak with Sixers forward Ben Simmons in a radio interview Monday morning, league sources told ESPN.