"Ben Simmons messing the money up" - Shaquille O’Neal reveals Ben Simmons messaged him after his recent comments on the wantaway 76ers star
Shaquille O’Neal has been open to comment about Ben Simmons’ hold out, not featuring for the Philadelphia 76ers, so far this season. In a recent episode of “NBA on TNT”, O’Neal called the 76ers guard a “cry baby”, without even mentioning his name. Shaq referred to Ben Simmons as the “other guy” alongside Joel Embiid.
"He acting like a baby.”
@Shaq went IN on Ben Simmons and says the Sixers star DM'd him mad for comments Shaq recently made on @NBAonTNT
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Ben Simmons has reportedly lost $19 million so far, in fines for missing games. Each missed game costs the Australian guard $360,000. He stands to lose $12 million more if he does not suit up for the 76ers or any other franchise for that matter. In the latest episode of “The Big Podcast with Shaq”, Shaquille O’Neal explained why the Ben Simmons fiasco has bothered him, saying:
“Let me tell you why I’m pissed off. Magic [Johnson] paved the way for Mike [Jordan] – they wasn’t making no money. Mike paved the way for me, to get all the bread that I was getting. I paved the way for Garnett. Ben Simmons messing the money up.”
Ben Simmons has not played a single game this season, based on the criticism he received for his performance in the playoffs last year. Simmons was called out for his inconsistency, unwillingness to shoot the ball and missing crucial free throws. Shaquille O’Neal pointed out that he has received his fair share of criticism throughout his career and responding like how Simmons did is of no help, saying:
“You are making $40 million and the only reason you’re not playing is cause your coach called you out. You making us look bad. And I’ve been in this moment many times, they say ‘Hey, you think you can win with Shaq in the fourth quarter?’ – and all my coaches said he gotta step and knock’em down. They all said that, I didn’t go – ‘Man I got 38, I missed 12 free throws, trade me, get rid of me.’ He acting like a baby.”
Another development Shaquille O’Neal brought to light was what Ben Simmons did in response to the superstar’s comments, saying:
“So, he kinda got in my DM and said some things, I said some thing back.”
“All I said is, you leaving your man out there – you gotta play. That’s all I said, but he said some things and I’m not gonna elaborate what he said, because that’s not cool. He was mad – he was probably mad cause I’m his LSU brother.”
Ben Simmons not trusting the process anymore
The Philadelphia 76ers have placed their bets on the duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons since the start of the 2017-18 season, when Simmons played his first game for the franchise. They’ve often stated that they’re willing to ride it out with the duo and will "Trust the Process," in their hopes of a title.
Shaq on Ben Simmons: "The difference between (Embiid) & his soft partner is he can take criticism without being a crybaby...Great players step up to the criticism & perform. So this other guy, I don't respect him. I would get rid of him." https://t.co/0seElq1M6s
The 76ers are third in the Eastern Conference, led by Embiid, as Simmons refuses to play – blaming his coach and even Embiid for not standing up for him. Shaquille O’Neal drew a reference to his time at the LA Lakers, saying:
“I realized this after I left LA, I don’t believe I’ve been in my whole career fighting for a useless title. ‘Shaq you the man, Shaq this is your team’. In reality, what the f*** does all that mean? It don’t mean nothing. I would have won 8-9 championships with that man [Kobe Bryant] instead of we both arguing about – whose team it is.”
There have been numerous trade rumors floating around to get Embiid some support, as many feel it’s time to reap the rewards of the process. But Joel Embiid is shutting out the noise, having a breakout season and averaging a league-leading 29.1 points, along with 10.8 rebounds per game. He has come out stronger this season, displaying great footwork and skill inside the paint – even making a claim for the MVP title.