Follow the mess with Ben Simmons. And this time, the bad guy in the movie is not the player. Rich Paul, one of the most sought-after players in the market, has made a report in which he has revealed a kind of constant mistreatment by the Sixers to his player, with the intention of forcing him to play. In statements collected by Shams Charania for The Athletic and that have appeared in other media such as CBS Sports, the agent accuses the Philadelphia franchise of worsening the player’s mental health, through “fines, targeting and negative publicity“A different vision from the one that has been given lately and that puts the team, and not the player, at the center of criticism.
Let’s remember that after a really tumultuous summer, Simmons showed up at the trainnig camp two weeks late. With trade rumors constantly behind him and many offers from the Sixers that have ended in fiasco, Simmons was kicked out of practice by Doc Rivers on Oct. 19 for refusing to participate in a drill. Behind this, the guard claimed mental health reasons to stay off the slopes and is not playing for his team or training. And his future remains unknown, despite recent rumors of growing interest from the Celtics.
The Sixers organization fined Simmons on November 5 for being unclear about his problems and the process he was following to resolve them. The entity assures that it has provided resources to Simmons for its care, but he also wants me to participate in training. Rich Paul is tougher about it and says the franchise hints that the player is not sincere: “Either you help Ben or you say he’s lying. Which?“The agent also assures that the Sixers doctor has defined him as mentally healthy and has seen him only once.”We have to eliminate our ego. Ben needs support“, he assures.
“This is no longer a handover. It’s about finding a place where we can help Ben regain his mental strength and get back on the court. I want him on the court playing the game that he loves. I want Ben on the court, whether it’s in the Sixers uniform or any other uniform. That is not up to me, but I want him in a state where he can resume play. We want to cooperate and we want you to get back to work on the track“Rich Paul added in a harsh statement. Words that have not done more to add fuel to the fire and show that this issue is still far from being resolved. Very far.
