A new chapter was written in the ongoing feud between Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers this week when the former relented and returned to the team following a short-lived holdout.
It was a stunning reversal, given that Simmons had maintained for months that he was prepared for his feud with the Sixers to get ugly.
All Philly had to do was apply the teensiest bit of financial pressure – and Simmons came running back.
This week, swingman Danny Green addressed his relationship with Simmons and the 76ers’ expectations for his return.
“We’ve expressed that multiple times that we want him back,” Green said. “We want him with us. I hear the same news you guys hear. I haven’t seen him yet. When he’s in the building, we’ll acclimate him appropriately.”
Green also added that nobody is expecting an apology from Simmons for the way he has behaved over the last few months.
“If he does he does, if he doesn’t he doesn’t,” Green said. “That doesn’t matter to us at this point. We just want everyone to come here, show up, and do their jobs. I’m not asking him to do anything different than he normally does.
“Just show up to work and do what you normally do because what he normally does, we are very effective. We’re very good at it. We’re the number one team in the East. I’m not asking him to shoot jump shots. Just come in, be a pro, and do your job.”
That “jump shots” line caught a lot of people’s attention after the fact for its low-key savageness. Obviously the reason why Simmons and Philly’s feud kicked off to begin with was the team’s reaction to his inability to do pretty much anything offensively in the playoffs last year against the Atlanta Hawks.
Dodgers vs Giants is a very exciting series. https://t.co/OPpiG1Tcsa
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Joel Embiid offered a similar reaction to Simmons’ surprising return to the team.
Clearly there is no love lost between Simmons and his teammates at this juncture.
As things currently stand, there is currently one sleeper team that is in the hunt for Simmons’ services. If that trade doesn’t ultimately come to fruition, though – Simmons could be in for a long and awkward season with the 76ers.
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Charles Kruger has been credentialed to cover two Super Bowls, four NBA Finals, and one World Series. A 20-year veteran in the sports world, he has sources spanning the NBA, MLB, NFL, UFC and NASCAR. Currently residing in Los Angeles, Calif., he is Game 7’s go-to source for rumors surrounding the Lakers, Clippers and Dodgers.
