Michael Wilbon apparently can add "Peacemaker" to his ever-expanding resume.
Deadspin.com has reported that ESPN columnist Bill Simmons says his feud with Los Angeles Clippers coach and former Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers is over.
During a Simmons podcast on ESPN.com, he reveals that he had a 45-minute conversation with Rivers, in which Wilbon, the former Washington Post columnist who is now an ESPN analyst and co-host of "Pardon The Interruption" helped arrange.
"We hashed everything out," Simmons told his friend Joe House during the podcast. "...Wilbon was involved. We both love Wilbon."
The situation arose during the NBA draft on June 27, when Simmons called out Rivers, saying he "tried to quit on his players," in Boston when it appeared negotiations between the Celtics and Clippers to allow Rivers to go to Los Angeles had stalled.
The Clippers are believed to be a team much closer to winning an NBA championship than the Celtics, and the Celtics and Rivers mutually agreed a parting of ways was best for both parties.
Rivers fired back at Simmons, saying "I would like to call him an idiot, but I'm too classy for that" during an interview on draft night with ESPN.
To which Simmons responded immediately, "The truth keeps changing."
Simmons is an unapologetic Boston Celtics fan, which may have had an influence on his comments during the draft, but Rivers did admit that he wasn't sure he wanted to go through a rebuilding process with the Celtics.
Simmons' issue was that Rivers' loyalty to the Celtics shouldn't have been contingent only on the franchise being a championship contender.
The columnist also said on his podcast that while the hatchet was buried, the two were still on opposite sides.
"We agreed to disagree," Simmons said.
© 2023 Sportsworldnews.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
