Ben Simmons says he saw him kicked out of coach Doc Rivers at a 76ers practice on Oct. 19, 2021.
The incident, which saw the Australian star suspended for one game, comes after a heated offseason between players and teams. The story continued until the NBA’s trade deadline when Simmons was traded to the Nets.
“I was trying to do the right thing and I wasn’t in the place to play,” Simmons said on the podcast “The Old Man and the Three.” I said, “Doctor, I’m not ready. It’s something like
Simmons said, “It’s only a minute from practice,” Doc told him to get on the court and practice.
“I got fined for not lifting weights, but physically I’m one of the strongest guys on the team,” he said. “Obviously I didn’t handle things the right way, but neither did the team.”
Below a clip posted on the podcast’s Instagram account, listeners chimed in.
“Interestingly, we say that we[as a society]support mental health, but when someone speaks out or comments about situations where mental health is compromised, people make fun of him.” One commenter wrote, “I appreciate that he spoke openly about it, took responsibility for himself and ultimately did what was best for him.”
This sent Austin Rivers, son of the Sixers coach and Denver Nuggets guard, jumping into contention.
“Buddy, do you really believe this man?” he replied. “If only I knew…”
Young Rivers, a former Nick, was not on the Sixers and was never Simmons’ teammate.
Simmons said that both he and the team’s failure to handle things right accumulated. , has not yet checked in as a member of the Nets.
