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Ben Simmons' long relationship with the Philadelphia 76ers was undoubtedly a rocky one. Over the course of four seasons, things continued to sour. As fans grew impatient with Simmons lack of development, the Australian star found himself under fire for questionable decision-making come playoff time.
After the team was eliminated from the 2021 playoffs, Simmons once again found himself under fire as head coach Doc Rivers criticized him publicly.
Ahead of a season that will see Simmons make his debut with the Brooklyn Nets, the three-time All-Star has opened up about his mental health struggles. Specifically, the resentment that continued to build during his time in Philadelphia.
During a recent appearance on JJ Reddick's podcast, Simmons opened up about one particular incident that occurred in practice. In the midst of his mental health struggles, Doc Rivers reportedly attempted to force him to practice:
"He told me to get in. I looked at him. It was like one minute into practice. Like, 'Ben, get in.' First of all, no one's doing that, you're doing this on purpose. And that's how I felt, too. I was like, OK, it seems like everyone's just trying to f--- with me now."
He continued, reflecting on the numerous fines he incurred for things like missing weight lifting sessions. While he admitted that he could have handled things better, he thinks the franchise could have as well:
"I'm getting fined for not lifting weights, but physically I'm one of the strongest guys on the f---ing team. So I'm like, now they're fining me for little things. It was just a buildup of -- obviously I didn't handle things the right way, but also the team didn't, either. And the people who had that power."
Going into the upcoming season, Simmons will have the chance to return to form in Brooklyn.
Ben Simmons & the Brooklyn Nets' shot at redemption
With the opportunity for a fresh start in Brooklyn, Ben Simmons will look to cement his place as one of the best young stars in the league again. With an incredibly dominant duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the stars could be aligning in favor of Brooklyn.
As Simmons gears up for the start of the season, hopes are high in Brooklyn - with Jalen Rose recently predicting an NBA Finals appearance from the Nets who've been mired in internal issues.
Guess the Lakers players!
