Ben Simmons was thrown out of practice this week by Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers after he became a distraction to the team. In one video clip, it looked like Simmons was practicing with a cell phone in his pocket. That was not the case, however.
An object could be seen in Simmons’ right pocket at Monday’s practice, and some thought the glow of a cell phone screen was showing. Here’s the video:
Ben Simmons practicing in sweatpants with his phone in his pocket. pic.twitter.com/MEdQLxudcK
— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) October 18, 2021
Marc Stein was one of the NBA reporters who helped fuel the astonishment of Simmons practicing with his phone on him. However, Stein later corrected himself and said Simmons actually had his practice jersey stuffed in his pocket. Shams Charania of The Athletic said the same during a Wednesday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
BREAKING: "That was not a phone in Ben Simmons pants that was his practice jersey he was supposed to be wearing" ~@ShamsCharania#PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/33QvPgnSlw
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 20, 2021
So there you have it — Simmons may have acted like a jerk, but he wasn’t practicing with a phone in his pocket.
Phone or no phone, Simmons clearly has no interest in anything that is going on in Philadelphia. He dribbled off on his own during Monday’s practice rather than huddling up with his teammates (video here). He was then kicked out of practice on Tuesday and suspended for the Sixers’ season opener. Joel Embiid had some harsh comments for his teammate after all the drama unfolded.
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
