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May 31, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) reacts after the basket during the first quarter against the Washington Wizards during game four in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
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May 31, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) reacts after the basket during the first quarter against the Washington Wizards during game four in the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Ben Simmons, since his arrival in the NBA, has always been a special player. The Philadelphia 76ers in fact believed they had a star for the future and aimed to groom him alongside Joel Embiid. In fact, in his second season with the Sixers, the team would finish 3rd in the Eastern Conference.
His playmaking, rebounding, and defense were some of the crucial factors that allowed the 76ers to become a powerhouse in the East.
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Jan 27, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (12) celebrates with guard Ben Simmons (25) and center Joel Embiid (21) after scoring the game winning basket during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
WATCH THIS STORY: When Will Ben Simmons Make His Season Debut for the Brooklyn Nets?
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However, the Embiid-Simmons duo did not manage to win a title. In fact, and to everyone’s surprise, the Sixers would succumb to the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals.
It was in that series that fans saw a timid and under-confident version of Ben Simmons. This followed by a saga of events led to Simmons making the decision of not suiting up for the 76ers in the 2021-22 season due to mental health issues. In light of this, Charles Barkley lashed out at the superstar for his actions.
Charles Barkley on Ben Simmons
Following the trade of Simmons to the Nets on deadline day, Charles Barkley lashed out at the star for using mental health as a ‘scapegoat’ to earn the money that the Sixers were supposed to pay him.
Barkley started off by explaining that Simmons never cited mental health as an issue before the Sixers decided to stop paying him. He mentioned that the real reason was that the NBA star simply disliked the Sixers organization.
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“Ben Simmons never said anything about mental health until they (Philadelphia 76ers) stopped paying him. It’s just that he hated the Sixers. He didn’t want to be around Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid,” said Barkley.
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Jun 18, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) drives to the basket against Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins (20) during the first half in game six in the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs. at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
“If Ben Simmons had have said that (mental health issue) when everything first happened, I wouldn’t have had any problem with it. But what he did was a serious issue in our society. He started using that when he realized he was not going to get paid,” explained Chuck.
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READ MORE: Comedian Kevin Hart Warns “Villain” Ben Simmons of Torturous Reception from 76ers Fans
Regardless of there actually being a mental health issue with Simmons, it is quite evident that the point guard was unhappy in Philly. Now that the Harden-Simmons trade has taken place, the change of scenery should make Simmons feel better. In fact, fans will hope to see the star back in action alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. As for the Sixers, they too will hope that their new partnership with Harden is fruitful. At the end of the day, both teams share the same goal – winning the NBA championship.
