"Simmons dropped the ball and left" - Tensions continue to rise in Philadelphia 76ers camp as Ben Simmons reportedly refuses to listen to Doc Rivers and take part in defensive drill
The most bizarre saga of the 2021 NBA offseason has hit greater heights after Ben Simmons was suspended by the Philadelphia 76ers for one game for conduct that was deemed “detrimental to the team.” Simmons, who had no intentions of re-joining the Philadelphia 76ers for the upcoming season, could not be moved away by the 76ers resulting in a shroud of mystery, with seemingly everybody unsure about where the saga is headed.
In what is perhaps the most comical update to the story thus far, Ben Simmons was kicked out of practice after having a disagreement with the Philadelphia 76ers’ head coach Doc Rivers.
Joel Embiid: “At this point I don’t care about that man.”
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Ben Simmons kicked out of practice, suspended for one game after disagreement with Doc Rivers
A recent story is still developing, and it appears as if Ben Simmons refused to join a defensive drill upon being asked by Doc Rivers. Simmons was expected to address the media before the Philadelphia 76ers’ season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans, with Rivers instead taking his place and claiming that Simmons might yet make a return for the Philadelphia 76ers. Rivers claimed he is intent on giving the number one pick from the 2016 draft as many opportunities as possible to potentially join the team and help them with their title ambitions for the upcoming season.
Sources: Doc Rivers asked Ben Simmons to join a defensive drill today. Simmons refused. Rivers asked again. Simmons said no again.
Rivers then told Simmons he should go home, and Simmons dropped the ball and left.
Simmons will be unavailable for the time being and has been suspended for the season opener. According to reports, Simmons was asked twice by Rivers to join the defensive drill and he chose to refuse both times. This led to the coach asking him to return home, which resulted in Ben Simmons simply dropping the ball and walking out of practice.
#Sixers coach Doc Rivers on Ben Simmons getting kicked out of practice. https://t.co/X1RQokr3Q1
Since then, Joel Embiid has launched a scathing attack on Simmons. He claimed that he does not care about the “man,” with all eyes on the Philadelphia 76ers’ opening fixture, a match that Simmons will not be a part of. The incident has proved another update to a dramatic saga that emerged after Ben Simmons’ catastrophic attacking performance in the playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks.
Embiid, who has been tipped to again emerge as one of the frontrunners for the NBA MVP award, launched what was the first public attack on Ben Simmons since the saga broke out. He had initially claimed that Simmons might as yet make a return to the team, with all personnel working heavily behind the curtain to ensure that he can seamlessly re-join. However, the latest incident might have left a spanner in the works.
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