Ben Simmons reveals ugly extent of Joel Embiid fallout: 'Don't talk'
Ben Simmons has made a stunning admission about his acrimonious split from Philadelphia and relationship with former 76ers teammate, Joel Embiid.
Simmons and Embiid were the star-studded Philadelphia duo who many thought had the potential to deliver NBA championship success at the Sixers.
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The pair enjoyed a successful spell together before Philadelphia were bundled out of the second round of the NBA playoffs in 2021, with Simmons copping the brunt of criticism for the Sixers' exit.
The Aussie passed up a wide-open dunk in the heartbreaking Game 7 defeat to Atlanta that would have tied things up late in the contest.
Simmons was left hurting by the criticism from Embiid and coach Doc Rivers over his role in Philly's early post-season exit.
Embiid was left frustrated by the fact Simmons did not feature for the Sixers the following the season, having initially refused to train with the side before taking a mental health break from the game.
The want-away Aussie star was eventually traded away to the Brooklyn Nets, as part of a deal that saw James Harden go the other way to Philadelphia.
Simmons this week opened up about his time with the Philadelphia 76ers ahead of his return to the court with the Nets - which marks his first game in the NBA since the end of the 2020-21 season.
In a brutal admission about his ugly divorce from the Sixers and his relationship with his former teammate Embiid, the Aussie star said the pair "never really spoke".
“I don’t talk to Jo (Embiid),” Simmons told ESPN’s Nick Friedell.
“We never really spoke.”
Given how Simmons’ time with the 76ers ended after his lengthy injuries, mental health break and trade holdout, it’s easy to understand why there’s some animosity between the former teammates.
Considering Simmons no longer calls Philadelphia home, the Aussie doesn't understand why there would be a need to keep into contact with Embiid.
“I don't think there was really a relationship there,” Simmons added.
“Like in terms of a friendship? You can try as hard as you want to try to be close to somebody, be their friend, whatever it is, but everyone is different as people, so for me, it's never personal.
"I don't have any anger or hate towards him. He is who he is and I am who I am.”
Ben Simmons 'can't wait' for Philadelphia return with Nets
Simmons, 26, will make his official NBA debut with the Nets on Thursday (AEDT) against the New Orleans Pelicans.
He nearly returned last season for them in the playoffs, but opted for back surgery after lingering issues.
It’ll only take about a month before he returns to Philadelphia.
Simmons has been on the bench at Wells Fargo Center after travelling with the Nets there last season, where he was met with a brutal reception from Sixers fans.
However, the game on November 22 will mark Simmons' first official game in Philadelphia since the NBA playoffs in 2021.
“I can't wait to go there... But for me, everything's an experience and a learning situation," he said.
"So for me I'm able to learn something that I've never been through before. I've never been traded and played against a team that I got traded from... We're people, too. We want to go out there and prove everyone wrong.”
As for the chants and backlash he faced last time, Simmons insisted he wasn’t bothered. Since he wasn’t playing, and he doesn’t “know them,” he didn’t take it personally.
“They don’t know me. They know the basketball side of me, but that's not who I am as a person,” he said.
“And that's the competitive nature of being in a hostile place like Philadelphia, you know? I was drafted there, it ended in a way where not everyone was happy about it, but that's basketball, right? And it's Philly [chuckles]. Like I don't know if that's happening in Indiana or anything like that. That's Philly. That's Philly for you.”
Simmons will play a key role for the Nets this season alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. If they’re going to avenge last season’s disappointing first-round playoff loss, Simmons is going to have to play well with those two superstars.
So far, the Aussie says he's fitting in really well.
“I got support from all these guys, the coaching staff, the organisation, so it's up to me to go out there to do my job now and work,” Simmons said.
“It feels like home. It feels normal to be here and come to work.”
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