Getty Ben Simmons battles Montrezl Harrell in the preseason opener between the Sixers and Nets on October 3, 2022.
For those who may be tardy to the party, the catalyst that accelerated Ben Simmons‘ exit from the Philadelphia 76ers, was a crucial play in Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals. With the game hanging in the balance, Simmons passed up an open layup on a pivotal possession in the fourth quarter. Though he was not traded to the Brooklyn Nets until February, after losing that Game 7, Simmons would never put on a Sixers jersey again.
One of the cited reasons Simmons elected to sit out was his mental health, as it was under attack via the backlash of his decision to pass up that open layup. As he prepares to make his return to the City of Brotherly Love, sports psychologist Dr. TM Mosley had some advice for the newest Nets star.
“The first thing, you’re absolutely right to humanize the experience. Imagine going to work one day and having people yell and say awful things to you that may or may not be true but they’re intending to hurt you. It’s harmful,” Mosley said to Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson of Bally Sports.
“And so, to humanize the experience and recognize it like, I can only imagine how terrible that feels and then go out and be one of the best at what I do in the blink of an eye… and so, on our end, it’s really like how do we normalize that experience and saying this is high pressure? How do we help you not only surround yourself with people who pour into you and be support systems? And then also recognize that there’s going to be things that you can’t control.”
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Simmons Offered Advice for ‘High Pressure’ Return
Though this will be his first official return to play against his former team, Simmons has been back to Philadelphia since being traded to the Nets in February. He traveled with the team in Brooklyn’s win over the Sixers on March 10 and was met with a chorus of boos as he sat on the Nets’ bench.
However, him playing against his former team will be an entirely different obstacle to take on. Dr. Mosley says the best plan of attack for Simmons is to follow his normal routine.
“So, you want to try as much as possible in your routine in your environment to really game plan around What do I have to do to keep myself balanced? How do I protect my peace? How do I keep myself feeling whole,” Mosley added.
“Because it’s high pressure you know, at EVERY single level. This is a stressful industry. And so, he’s needing that support, and other players need that support; it needs to be something that has to be reinforced and also present in the ecosystem of the organization. So how do we make sure that the environment is conducive in getting peak performance and making sure that these athletes are well.”
Simmons, Sixers Reached Grievance Agreement in August
Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals was the last game that Simmons played in a Sixers uniform as he chose to sit out before being traded to the Nets on February 10. As a result, the Sixers did not pay him for the time he sat out, which caused him to lose nearly $20 million of his 2021-22 salary, which Simmons filed a grievance against in April.
In a surprising turn of events, Simmons and the Sixers were able to settle for an undisclosed amount on August 15, per ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
“Brooklyn Nets All-Star guard Ben Simmons and his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers, reached a settlement agreement on the grievance Simmons filed to recoup a portion of the nearly $20 million withheld from him as a result of his failure to play games in the 2021-22 season, sources told ESPN on Monday,” Wojnarowski writes.
“Both sides agreed to confidentiality on the exact financial settlement reached, sources said.”
Simmons will return to Philadelphia to face his former team on November 22.