Ben Simmons' NBA career continued its downward trajectory last season as the former All-Defense guard appeared in only 15 games for the Brooklyn Nets in 2023-24. Lingering back injuries have completely sapped Simmons of the abilities he once boasted as a max contract player for the Philadelphia 76ers. His exit from the franchise was ugly for all sorts of reasons, but there's not much he can do about injury except rehab and hope it gets better. So far, that hasn't worked out.
Unfortunately for Simmons, the fact that he is not on the court does not shield him from the criticism that has closely followed him since that fateful Sixers-Atlanta Hawks playoff series in which he, along with his team, collapsed down the stretch with a perfect chance at a conference finals appearance on the line. Which is how we find ourselves here, in the year 2024, hearing unkind thoughts from former teammate Georges Niang.
Niang appeared on Richard Jefferson's Road Trippin' podcast and was asked if there was anybody in the NBA who rubs him the wrong way. He took the opportunity to explain how he felt when Simmons decided to hold out ahead of the 2021-22 season in an effort to force a trade out of Philadelphia. Niang's thoughts can be neatly summed up with one quote:
"F--- that guy."
“F*ck this dude”
— J🐐 (@SixersJustin) July 30, 2024
- Georges Niang talking about what he felt about Ben Simmons when he arrived to Philadelphia
pic.twitter.com/8CAImffe5V
"In Philly, it was the— and I don't want to beat a dead horse with it, because I actually feel bad at this point— the Ben Simmons thing. That pissed me off because guys are trying to make a living, right? I came from Utah, I signed, like, just a little over the minimum and I'm like, 'This is perfect.' I'm a spot-up shooter. This guy f---ing drives to the lane, everybody collapses he kicks out. I was like, 'This is going to be great for my career.' I signed a two-year deal and then he was like, 'I'm not playing.'"
Niang went on to explain that he would greet Simmons around the team facilities, as requested by the 76ers in an effort to "welcome him back in." Simmons would merely respond with a nod, which is when Niang decided his mind would not be changed.
"That's when I was like, f--- this dude. If I get an opportunity to play against this dude, I'm just going to be an a--hole."
It is an interesting perspective to hear because it serves as a reminder that situations like the Simmons trade saga doesn't just serve as fodder for sports talk radio. It affects everybody around him. In Niang's case he bet his financial future on playing with (then) one of the game's top passers, only for Simmons to refuse to show up to work. And there was absolutely nothing Niang or any of his teammates could do about it. They just had to roll with the punches and see what happened.
In this particular instance Niang's issues ended up solved. Simmons was moved later that season for James Harden, an even better passer whose gravity left Niang wide-open more often than not. Playing alongside the former league MVP led Niang to sign a three-year, $25 million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers last offseason.
So it all worked out for Niang. Not so much for Simmons. Especially since this is unlikely to be the last time we hear a former teammate break down their negative feelings about the end of his time in Philly.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Former Teammate Blasts Ben Simmons's 76ers Holdout With NSFW Quote .
