Amir apologizes for using cell phone: 'I really want to sweep it under the rug'

Philadelphia 76ers veteran Amir Johnson wants to leave the past in the past after getting caught using a cell phone on the bench during a Game 1 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.

"I really want to sweep it under the rug and that's that," Johnson said, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "I apologized to my teammates and the organization and I hate that there was so much attention on the cellphone.

"We're focused on Game 2. Like I said, this situation, you just kind of want to move it to the side. There's so many media outlets and situations about that cellphone and I hate that it ever happened."

The 76ers fined Johnson for conduct detrimental to the team, which appears to be the only punishment the 31-year-old forward will receive.

"He addressed the team before the day began. And in my mind, there's not much more that can be done," head coach Brett Brown said. "We all understand there is zero place for that in our league or our organization. It's not the look, it's not the professionalism that we or he represents.

"Amir is a good person. People that know Amir know this. And so a mistake was made. We owned it, he owned it, we made a statement, and we move on. And I really mean that. We move on."

Following Philadelphia's 111-102 loss at the Wells Fargo Center, All-Star center Joel Embiid told reporters that Johnson had his phone so he could check on his sick daughter. Johnson said Sunday that his daughter is "fine," and neither he nor the team have confirmed why the phone was used.