Since his career started, the controversial but talented Ben Simmons has always been in the news. Recently, one of his former Philadelphia 76ers teammates, Georges Niang, revealed what their relationship was like. Niang explained why he distanced himself from the former No.
1 overall pick. “So he would roam around through the facility and you’d be like, ‘What’s up?’ When everybody else was trying to welcome him back and he’d just nod at you. It dawned on me that this guy is not right in the head, and so I said “f— him”.
If I ever get a chance to play against this guy, then I am going to make sure it happens.” The stars’ players at The Sixers have always had someone behind them headed by Daryl Morey. Everything was done by them to try and work out Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons as a duo .
However, this didn’t matter because they were hopeful for years despite their on-court awkwardness.
Simmons Decline
Eventually, however, Simmons’s relationship with the team turned sour. After many unsuccessful playoff attempts, Simmons started becoming impatient with the organization.
His partnership with Embiid became untenable as they parted ways. However, when he left, there were no more chances of rebuilding that bridge with his teammates. Drafted by the 76ers in 2016, Philadelphia became home for Simmons overnight.
Over four seasons, he averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game. Together with Embiid, Simmons ensured that the Sixers achieved top-tier standings and several playoff wins. This changed during the playoffs of 2021 though after poor performance against Hawks; Simmons refused to play for the Philadelphia side claiming mental fatigue issues He stayed away from games for months until Daryl Morey shipped him off to Nets in 2022 when he considered coming back.
Simmons’ situation created huge problems within the 76ers’ ranks throughout this year. The players were constantly asked about Simmons, which was a major distraction. In the last attempt to keep him, the 76ers tried to welcome him back.
As a result, he became increasingly aloof from his teammates, and that was all. Simmons is no longer an All-Star now. He has just one year left on his contract and should have a very good season in order to save his NBA future. Another moneymaking deal may not materialize if he does not get back into form with the Nets.
