We all know how horrible Ben Simmons was offensively during the Eastern Conference semifinals, and it seemed clear that some of the struggles were mental. The Philadelphia 76ers star likely recognized that. Apparently there were some questions about whether he even tried to get out of playing in Game 7.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne published a piece on Friday about the drama-filled offseason with Simmons in Philadelphia. In her story, Shelburne revealed that there was a brief period where Simmons believed the 76ers were not going to allow him to play in Game 7 against the Atlanta Hawks due to a possible COVID-19 exposure — one that was self-reported by Simmons.
On the morning of June 20, which was the day of Game 7, Simmons reportedly told his brother Sean Tribe that he was being held out of shootaround due to possibly being exposed to COVID-19 after a team masseuse returned an inconclusive test. Simmons told Tribe that the Sixers were “not letting me play.”
Several players were asked if they had been around the masseuse, and only Simmons said that he had. One source close to Simmons said that the former first overall pick was simply being honest “without thinking of the implications.”
According to Shelburne, there was a feeling among members of the team that Simmons was trying to get out of Game 7 because he had been playing so poorly. Some questioned if he had actually even seen the masseuse.
Simmons had 8 points on 2-of-4 shooting in Philly’s Game 5 loss to the Hawks. He converted just 4-of-14 free throws. He then scored just 6 points on 2-of-6 shooting in Game 6, but the Sixers managed to force Game 7 with a win. There’s no debating Simmons was ice cold heading into the deciding game. He scored 5 points on 2-of-4 shooting in the 103-96 loss in Game 7.
Simmons was downright afraid to shoot in the series against Atlanta. Joel Embiid threw him under the bus for it after Game 7. Shaquille O’Neal had an even harsher message for Simmons.
If coaches, players or executives with the Sixers really thought Simmons was trying to duck out of Game 7, that shows you what they think of his competitive spirit.
Photo: Jan 30, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) talks to fans before a game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
One ex-Cleveland Cavaliers player is going Tupac “Hit ‘Em Up” mode in response to an unflattering claim about former teammate Collin Sexton.
Sports Illustrated ran a quote from an anonymous scout in a preview of the Cavs this week. The scout took aim at Sexton, calling him an “a–hole” and saying that “none of his teammates like him.”
Portland Trail Blazers forward Larry Nance Jr. responded to the claim in a tweet on Friday and did not hold back.
“Whoever said this is a moron with zero knowledge of anything going on in Cleveland,” Nance wrote. “Iβd hide behind anonymity too if I was this bad at my job.”
The former lottery pick Sexton was the Cavs’ leading scorer and highest-usage player last season. He was teammates for the last three seasons with Nance, who was traded to the Blazers as part of the Lauri Markkanen deal.
There were reports last season that Sexton was unliked within the Cavs. But Nance, though he is not in Cleveland any longer, obviously seems to be of the exact opposite opinion.
Jay Williams and Stephen A. Smith got into a heated debate this week over Kyrie Irving’s decision to not get the COVID-19 vaccine, and Williams says people have wished death upon him over the stance he took.
During Wednesday’s edition of ESPN’s “First Take,” Smith was critical of Irving for leaving the Brooklyn Nets hanging by choosing not to get vaccinated. Williams, who said he is pro-vaccine, defended Irving’s right to make a personal decision and do what he feels is right for him and his family. You can see the argument below:
Williams posted an emotional video on Instagram this week in which he revealed that people have told him he doesn’t deserve to live because of his take on Irving.
“You know the crazy s— people say to me on the internet when they disagree with my opinion? … ‘Go hit a pole. Go die again. Duke’s education…’ All this stuff,” Williams said. “Thank god I went through that experience, because I don’t need other people to justify how I think about myself.”
Williams, of course, was a star at Duke and taken with the second overall pick by the Chicago Bulls in the 2002 NBA Draft. He suffered severe injuries in a motorcycle crash in 2003 that ultimately cost him his playing career.
Williams also doubled down on his defense of Irving.
“Kyrie Irving doesn’t owe you anything. He doesn’t owe you a response on your timeline. He doesn’t owe you answers that you feel like you need,” Williams said. “Everybody says, ‘Oh, the NBA season starts in five days.’ Who gives a damn.”
Here’s the full video from Williams:
Almost everyone has an opinion on the Irving situation. There has been speculation that Irving could retire, and the star point guard responded to that this week. Irving has given no indication that he will change his vaccine stance. If he does not, he likely won’t play at all this season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants breathed more life into their rivalry this year by battling it out in a thrilling five-game NLDS, but the two teams have a long way to go before they can call themselves baseball’s biggest rivals. Just ask Mookie Betts.
After the Dodgers defeated the Giants in a thrilling 2-1 game on Thursday night, Betts was asked if he thinks the two California teams have what his former team, the Boston Red Sox, has with the New York Yankees. Betts seemed hesitant to respond at first, but Max Scherzer pressured him into saying what he was thinking. The short answer was “no.”
Here’s the video:
“That Yankees-Red Sox, man, that’s mean. That’s different,” Betts said. “This is definitely different.”
Very few rivalries in sports come close to matching the intensity that we see when the Red Sox and Yankees face one another. The controversial way Game 5 of the NLDS ended (video here) might help drum up some more hostility between the Giants and Dodgers, but they’ll probably never have what the Red Sox and Yankees do. Betts understands that better than most.
Richard Sherman could not make it through the first quarter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night, as the veteran cornerback left the game with a hamstring injury. Most injuries are merely bad luck, but Sherman isn’t chalking his up to that.
Sherman tweeted on Friday that he is “disappointed” but plans to bounce back stronger. He said the hamstring injury occurred because he “asked a lot from my body in a short amount of time.”
Sherman, 33, signed with the Bucs days before their Week 4 game against the New England Patriots. Most people assumed he would take a week or two to get up to speed and into game shape, but he instead played immediately. He was picked on by the Patriots in that game before recording three tackles last week against the Miami Dolphins.
Prior to Thursday’s game, Sherman told FOX’s Erin Andrews that he felt great physically but was still learning Tampa Bay’s playbook. His tweet on Friday indicates that he knows he may have rushed things a bit.
It has been reported that Ben Simmons wants to leave the Philadelphia 76ers in part because he does not feel his style of play is suited for an offense that is centered around Joel Embiid. Apparently one star player believes he could have helped solve that issue.
The Sixers explored the possibility of acquiring Kyle Lowry prior to the NBA Draft. That would have required a sign-and-trade deal involving Simmons. According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, Lowry was more interested in playing with Simmons. The veteran point guard believed he could serve as the “ball-handling connective tissue between Simmons and Embiid,” as Fischer put it.
Once Lowry became a free agent, the Sixers did not have the resources to sign him. They would have had to unload Simmons’ contract in order to make it possible, so Lowry’s desire to play with Simmons was probably a moot point.
Lowry wound up signing with the Miami Heat. It is noteworthy that he thought he could help the on-court dynamic between Simmons and Embiid, as Simmons reportedly believes he would be better off playing elsewhere.
Simmons certainly has offensive inefficiencies, but he is still just 25. Plenty of players are probably open to playing with him, even if his own teammates seem frustrated with the ongoing drama.
H/T Heat Nation
Photo: Dec 27, 2019; Orlando, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) drives to the basket against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebackers coach Jerry Oslavsky has been missing from practice for several days, and the team shared the unfortunate reason for his absence on Friday.
The Steelers announced in a statement that Oslavsky’s wife, Rayme, has died.
Oslavsky, 54, has been an assistant coach on Mike Tomlin’s staff for more than a decade. He served as a defensive assistant from 2010-2014 and has been the team’s inside linebackers coach since. He also played for the Steelers from 1989-1997.
The Philadelphia Eagles have been contemplating a potential Zach Ertz trade since last year, and the star tight end is finally on the move.
Ertz was traded from Philly to the Arizona Cardinals on Friday. The Eagles will get rookie cornerback Tay Gowan and a fifth-round draft pick in the deal.
The Eagles confirmed the news and shared a tribute video to Ertz on Twitter:
Ertz, 30, had four catches and a touchdown in Thursday night’s 29-22 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He has 18 catches for 189 yards and two scores on the season. Dallas Goedert, whose emergence had made Ertz expendable to the Eagles, has 15 catches for 216 yards and two touchdowns this year.
It’s no surprise that the Eagles traded Ertz, as the three-time Pro Bowler has wanted a new contract for a while. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Ertz and the Cardinals have not yet discussed a long-term extension.
One veteran player was so convinced Ertz would be traded before the 2021 season that he made a hilarious bet with the tight end and lost. The trade came a bit later than many expected, but it was viewed as inevitable.
The Seattle Kraken notched their first ever win as an NHL franchise on Thursday night, and the Nashville Predators were happy to help them accomplish the feat.
After Seattle defeated Nashville 4-3, the Predators raised a photoshopped banner for themselves as part of an awesome tweet. They called their loss to the Kraken “southern hospitality.”
The Kraken lost their first ever regular-season game when they fell to the Las Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday. That game featured an incredible pregame video.
Hopefully the Kraken can live up to their name, because they easily have one of the best nicknames and logos in all of sports.
NFL players often swap jerseys with opponents after games as a show of respect, but Vita Vea reminded us on Thursday night that the process isn’t an easy one for a 350-pound defensive tackle.
Vea swapped jerseys with Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jordan Mailata following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 28-22 win. The process seemed quite challenging. While Leonard Fournette was being interviewed by FOX, Vea was shown in the background struggling to get his jersey off. He eventually needed some help. Check out the hilarious video:
The NFL banned players from swapping jerseys last season, so this is the stuff we were missing out on. Vea had better have an equipment manager on standby the next time he wants to trade jerseys with someone.
