Without explicitly addressing the group chat rumors, Nets forward Ben Simmons appeared to respond to rumors purported by Fox Sports 1’s Ric Bucher on The Herd with Colin Cowherd this week.
Burcher said on the show that ahead of Game 4 of the first round of the postseason vs. the Celtics, Simmons left the group chat consisting of Nets players after he was asked if he was going to play.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania said on Tuesday’s The Pat McAfee Show that the rumor is not true about Simmons leaving the group chat, even though it’s “an amazing story.”
The former 76ers star did not play in the 2021–22 season after a tumultuous end to his tenure in Philadelphia. Simmons held out as he focused on mental health and then dealt with back problems after moving to Brooklyn in February.
While Simmons has rarely addressed widespread media speculation about him, he appeared to respond to this week’s report by tweeting a laughing emoji and saying “slow news day.”
Even though Simmons didn’t come out and discredit the story, it sounds like he’s tired of the continued headlines.
