The big question on the minds of a lot of fans of the Philadelphia 76ers regarding the Ben Simmons saga is “why?” Why did everything go down the way it did following the team’s elimination from the 2021 playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks?
Going back to June 20, 2021, Simmons has gone through a lot. He passed up a dunk late in that Game 7, which Hawks star Trae Young defended the decision, he then was criticized in the aftermath of the game, involved in a ton of trade rumors, and then requested a trade a few weeks before training camp for the 2021-22 season.
Simmons then held out from the team citing mental health issues, he then reported to the team in the middle of the preseason, returned to practice, was kicked out of practice, and then didn’t play a single game before being sent to the Brooklyn Nets in the James Harden deal.
Simmons sat down with former Sixers guard JJ Redick on his podcast “The Old Man and the Three” and Simmons opened up on a lot of questions that are on the mind of everybody: