Ben Simmons Saga: Sixers Suspend Simmons 1 Game For 'Conduct Detrimental To The Team'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Just when Sixers fans may have thought things were getting better with Ben Simmons, they take a turn in the wrong direction. Ben Simmons will not play in Wednesday night's season opener in New Orleans.
He was suspended by the Sixers for one game on Tuesday for conduct "detrimental to the team."
Simmons was expected to have media availability on Tuesday, but that didn't happen.
Head coach Doc Rivers told Simmons to go home on Tuesday but said Ben will be welcomed back for the next practice and he will continue to give him the chance to join the team.
Sources tell The Athletic's Shams Charania that Rivers asked Simmons to join a defensive drill and Simmons refused. When Rivers asked him again and he said no a second time, Rivers told him he should go home.
Simmons then reportedly dropped the ball and left.
Embiid says it's "not our job to babysit somebody" and that the team is "focused on playing as a team."
When asked about the incident that erupted at practice Tuesday, Joel Embiid said, "At this point, I don't care about that man. He does whatever he wants."
Tuesday was Simmons' third day at practice with the team after ending his holdout last week.
CBS3's Alecia Reid was in South Philadelphia where Simmons was again the talk of the town. His face was plastered on TV screens at a local sports bar all day and to say some fans are frustrated with the back and forth between the team and Simmons is an understatement.
"To be suspended after just coming back to the team is a big deal," Kristy Zirbser said
Fans are now questioning what could've happened during his short return.
"I don't know what's going on with the inside," Valerie Moore, of Audubon, said. "I don't know if it's with money or something happened with him and the owners or whatever. I always tell people to keep it in God's hands and wish him good luck."
"I think he wrecked his value," Paul, of Camden, said. "He wants to be a number one but not that kinda play. Now he's looked at as a quitter."
Some fans at Donkey's Place, a popular cheesesteak restaurant in Camden, were extremely vocal about how the Simmons saga is playing out.
"I've had it up to here with Ben Simmons, I don't wanna hear anything about him. I wish they would trade him yesterday," one fan said.
While Simmons' relationship with the Sixers seemed to have been on the up-and-up, or that he was finally showing up to play, some weren't shocked at all to hear about the one-game suspension. In fact, they say it is now at a point where the saga is a bad look for the team and will only cause a distraction going into the season.
"It brings down his value," South Philly resident Moe Jackson said. "His value last year was pretty high until the playoffs and not it's like the Sixers don't want him, who else is gonna want him? You don't want that kinda teammate on your team. In life or in general, so he's gotta make a move or his agent gotta get in his ear or something because he's gonna be losing money left and right."
Simmons has definitely been losing money preseason and again for the first game of the season. For now, fans will just have to wait and see how this plays out.
"He wanted to leave the Sixers and they were able to get him back and now he's being disciplined after a short time back," Zirbser said. "It doesn't look good for another team that would like to draft him and pick him up as a potential player. Absolutely not."
The Sixers open the season on Wednesday night in New Orleans.
