Ben Simmons' brutal snub of Brooklyn teammates comes to light
Ben Simmons has sensationally been accused of turning his back on his new Brooklyn Nets teammates during last season's NBA playoff series against the Boston Celtics.
The Nets endured a chaotic season, which culminated in a brutal first round sweep at the hands of eventual Eastern Conference champions Boston - during which Simmons sat on the sidelines.
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Brooklyn's campaign got off to an inauspicious start when All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving refused to be vaccinated against Covid-19, rendering him absent for much of the season.
Fellow All-Star James Harden missed time as he continued to recover from a hamstring injury, and was eventually traded to Philadelphia in exchange for Simmons, Seth Curry and Andre Drummond.
Durant also missed substantial time due to injury, with the Nets squeaking into the playoffs in seventh spot.
Simmons had been locked in a lengthy standoff with the 76ers before the trade after flat-out refusing to play, citing mental health concerns.
He remained sidelined upon arrival in Brooklyn, despite head coach Steve Nash being keen to integrate the former No.1 pick as quickly as possible.
A back injury was cited as to why Simmons didn't play, however NBA observer Ric Bucher said that had hardly been communicated to the team - and reached a nadir when Simmons was pressed about it personally in a players' group chat.
“They’re having a team chat before game four, thinking he’s going to play against the Celtics, and from what I’m told, Ben just left the chat,” Bucher told The Herd's Colin Cowherd.
“They asked him, ‘Are you going to play?’ Ben left the chat. Like he didn’t even answer the question. Just left the chat.”
Ric Bucher says that after game 3 against the Celtics last year, Nets players text Ben Simmons in a group chat asking if he’d be ready to play in game 4
According to Bucher, not only did Ben Simmons not respond, he left the chat
LMAO what on earth pic.twitter.com/fHIPoBYgQF— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) August 8, 2022
The new revelation once again lead NBA fans to question how committed Simmons was to playing, particularly considering the prospect of having both Durant and Irving as teammates next season.
However Simmons broke a two-month Twitter hiatus to respond to the reports, writing 'Slow news day' accompanied by several laughing emojis.
It is unclear whether Simmons was referring to Bucher's revelations or another story about a potential breakup with his girlfriend, Maya Jama, who replied to his tweet “Stop believing ‘sources’ in papers plz.”
😂 slow news day
— Ben Simmons (@BenSimmons25) August 9, 2022
Brooklyn Nets in strife after latest Kevin Durant NBA demand
The Simmons reports emerged on the same day Durant issued an incredible ultimatum to Nets owner Joe Tsai, saying he would only drop his trade request if both Nash and general manager Sean Marks were both fired.
High profile NBA reporter Shams Charania wrote on Tuesday that Durant had met with Tsai, and told him to choose between himself and the pairing of head coach GM.
Durant lacks faith in the direction of the team, according to the report.
Hours after the report, Tsai tweeted that the Nets "front office and coaching staff have my support."
Durant, 33, is approaching his 16th NBA season and remains one of the game's elite offensive weapons. In 55 games last season, he averaged 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists while shooting 51.8% from the field and 38.3% from 3-point distance.
The latest twist in Brooklyn's tumultuous off-season caused a substantial reaction from NBA fans on social media, many of whom were genuinely uncertain about where Durant might play next season.
The Nets have been adamant they will not trade Durant, who signed a four-year contract extension with the team in 2021, unless they receive a sizeable haul in return.
Few teams are positioned to offer the Nets such a haul, though the Toronto Raptors, Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat have all been listed as potential trading partners.
Marks said after the season that he wants players who can "be available" while casting doubt over Irving's future with the team.
The Nets and Irving did not agree to a long-term extension before Irving eventually opted into a $36.9 million option for the upcoming season.
He's slated to become a free agent in 2023.
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