The rivalry between Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons and the entire Utah Jazz franchise took another turn on Tuesday when Simmons joined Rachel Nichols on ESPN’s “The Jump”.
The 6-foot-10 defensive stud took another swipe at Jazz big man Rudy Gobert when he was asked about his case to win the Defensive Player of the Year award. Simmons threw some shade at Gobert during the league hiatus in 2020 and he also threw more shade at him when he scored a career-high 42 against Gobert and the Jazz in February.
When asked about the Defensive Player of the Year award, Simmons said this to Nichols:
I’m one of those guys who can guard 1 through 5. Obviously, there’s a lot of respect for Rudy. I know what he’s capable of. I know he’s great down there in the paint, but he’s not guarding everybody and that’s just what it is. He guarded me in Utah…I had 42 and apparently I’m not a scorer. It is what it is, but I have a lot of respect for him. At the same time, I think it’s mine this year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7npsoJKAH5M
The race for this award will be something to watch as the season continues. The Sixers have two players who can win this award in both Simmons and Joel Embiid and they will be battling Gobert as well as others in this case.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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