Ben Simmons Reveals Why He Had To Leave The Sixers

Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers went through a protracted separation last season. Naturally, things deteriorated significantly after the Sixers’ NBA Playoff defeat to the Atlanta Hawks. Simmons was recently frank and forthright about what went wrong in Philadelphia.

Simmons played poorly during the series and eventually started refusing to work with the team and asking to be traded. Simmons was portrayed negatively during this time, but he is now stepping up and providing his perspective. On JJ Redick’s “The Old Man And Three” podcast, Simmons discussed how mental health issues caused his bad performance during the 2021 playoffs.

This just exacerbated his mental illness, and when Joel Embiid and Doc Rivers unfairly accused him, he was left feeling belittled. The Brooklyn Nets player continued by claiming that while in Philadelphia, he was in the wrong place and needed to clear his head.

It seems like everyone is trying to fuck with me now. I’m getting fined for not lifting weights but physically I’m one of the strongest guys on the team. They’re fining me for little things. It was just a build-up. Obviously, I didn’t handle things the right way but also, the team didn’t either.

Advertising

Advertising

Simmons also discussed how the Sixers kept fining him at the beginning of training camp. Simmons felt that Rivers and the team as a whole were trying to humiliate him, which only made him despise the circumstance more. It’s encouraging to hear that Simmons claims to be in a much better place right now. Fans just want to watch him make basket shots, so perhaps he can return to the court this year.

What’s your take on this story? Sound off in the comments!