PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Ben Simmons practiced with his teammates on Sunday for the first time since ending his hold out and returning to the Sixers. Simmons’ teammates were happy to have him back on the court with them.
Tobias Harris commented on the Simmons saga Sunday saying things were “perfectly fine.”
READ MORE: Timberwolves Spoil Embiid's 76ers Return With 2OT Victory“We’re grown men here,” Harris said. “This is not middle school, seventh or eighth grade. Oh, you did this to me, you did this…no, as soon as you step on the floor it’s basketball. Honestly, that’s the way it should be. We’re here for one thing, that’s to be the best team we can be and compete, get better as a group. So all the energy and this or that, the vibe was that it was. Was it perfect? No. But we’re here to do a job and that’s to win basketball games. So, put our big boy pants on the floor and we get on the floor and do what we do.”
Quote of the day from Tobias Harris on the Simmons saga:
"We're grown men here. This is not middle school, seventh or eighth grade. Oh you did this to me, you did this…no, as soon as you step on the floor it's basketball. Honestly that's the way it should be…"
— Pat Gallen (@PatGallenCBS3) October 17, 2021
Furkan Korkmaz was also happy to have his teammate back.
“It was good to have him back,” Korkmaz said. “To be on the same floor with him again, personally I’m happy to see him back here on the court and I hope we have more work to do.”
READ MORE: 'It's Just Too Much.' Neighbors Remember 51-Year-Old Gunned Down In PoplarFurkan Korkmaz on Simmons' return: "It was good to have him back. Personally, I missed him. To be on the same floor with him again, personally I'm happy to see him back here on the court and I hope we have more work to do."
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) October 17, 2021
It’s unclear if Simmons will be ready to play in the Sixers season opener in New Orleans on Wednesday night.
“I don’t know yet,” Rivers said. “I’m gonna wait and see. Conditioning I would say just watching him I thought he was in decent shape. Still not, obviously, game shape.”
Rivers says when Simmons is ready, he will play.
MORE NEWS: Caught On Camera: Fire Rips Through Vacant Bar In Penns Grove, New JerseyRivers' quote on whether Simmons will be ready for Wednesday: "I don't know yet. I'm gonna wait and see. Conditioning I would say just watching him I thought he was in decent shape. Still not, obviously, game shape."
"When he's ready, he'll play." https://t.co/t1IOEByWBq
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) October 17, 2021
Simmons has not spoken to the media since returning to Philadelphia.
