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Needless to say, Ben Simmons isn’t a very popular figure in the City of Brotherly Love at the moment. His holdout, which has now morphed into an extended absence due to mental health issues, has left the Philadelphia 76ers shorthanded, a situation made worse by the team’s recent injuries and multiple bouts with COVID-19.
All the while, the Sixers have resumed fining the three-time NBA All-Star for being unwilling to work toward a return to the court. It’s a chain of events that has turned a segment of the Philly faithful salty. And the latest turn in the ongoing saga is likely to crank the unpleasantness up multiple notches.
Simmons’ camp insists that his issues preclude him from practicing with the Sixers. However, they apparently haven’t stopped him from working out at nearby Saint Joseph’s University. Moreover, his involvement with the college team may have landed its program in hot water with the NCAA.
Eskin: Simmons’ Balling With the Hawks Was a No-No
On November 16, new footage of Simmons at Saint Joe’s began to circulate on social media. Shortly thereafter, 94 WIP’s Howard Eskin tweeted that the former No. 1 overall pick has been practicing and working out on campus, per his sources.
Things took another turn the following day, though, when Eskin indicated that “someone in the NCAA” had relayed to him that any involvement Simmons may have had with Hawks players on the court could constitute a violation of NCAA rules.
Whether Saint Joe’s actually suffers any negative consequences as a result of Simmons’ activities remains to be seen. As of this writing, nothing has come out about which specific rules may have been broken or if any official action had been taken.
One thing is certain, though — Eskin does not sit in Simmons’ cheering section.
In his tweets, he characterized the current situation as “disgraceful,” and sarcastically stated, “I assume playing with college players cures his mental illness.”
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Former Sixer Speaks out on Simmons
While fans — and some members of the Philly media — have shown little sympathy for Simmons, others have been more understanding. The latter group includes Andre Iguodala, who was drafted by the Sixers, spent eight years with the team and even represented it in the 2012 NBA All-Star Game.
As Iggy sees it, Simmons’ massive salary creates a dehumanizing aspect as relates to how he is treated by his team, the league and others.
“I mean, you can’t speak on anybody’s mental health,” Iguodala said of Simmons. “[It] just is what it is. … But there’s just too much money [involved]. And the more money you make, the more [they] take away from us being humans.”
Simmons signed a five-year, $177 million contract extension with the Sixers during the summer of 2019.
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