$6 million Ben Simmons has racked up fines greater than his net worth in his NBA career

Achyuth Jayagopal | 20/09/2022
$6 million Ben Simmons has racked up fines greater than his net worth in his NBA career

Ben Simmons is an extremely polarising figure among basketball circles.

The prospect touted to be the next LeBron James has been a subject of media attention for quite some time now. From his “rookie of the year” controversy to his fall-out with the Sixers and subsequent trade to the Nets, Simmons has had quite the career so far.

The Australian star is a bonafide all-star caliber player when fit. Ben Simmons is also one of the few players who can successfully navigate from 1-5 defensively. However, narratives haven’t been kind to Ben.

Also read: Ben Simmons alone has as many triple-doubles as Michael Jordan and this $155 Million Spurs legend have combined

Simmons’ lack of a jump shot and his playoff failings have made him a meme figure in the NBA. All this despite being a three-time all-star and two-time all-defensive selection by the age of 25.
Simmons was often subject to much ridicule by his own fan base in Philadelphia. The Sixers were Joel Embiid‘s team despite Simmons’ showings. Ben saw his errors being magnified while the plaudits were reserved.
Rebellion ensued. Simmons refused to suit up for the Philadelphia Sixers. Ths Sixers in turn held Simmons ransom and fined him heavily for not suiting up.

How much fines did Simmons accrue over the season?

After Simmons refused to kit up citing mental health among other reasons, the Sixers decided to fine the guard by the game. Each missed game cost Ben Simmons $360,000.

The dispute stretched long and Ben continued to sit games out. A trade was forced closer to the deadline which saw Harden and Simmons swap cities in the East.

The cumulative fines accrued by Simmons up to his trade is a truly mind-boggling figure. Simmons had paid the Philadelphia 76ers fines to the tune of $19 million.

Even if Ben Simmons does not accrue a single penny in fines for the rest of his career, the current some gives him the ignominy of being the highest payer of fines in NBA history. Not even the notorious likes of Ben and Rasheed Wallace can claim such penalties on their name.

Ben Simmons ultimately ended up paying more than what he has left as savings owing to legal action. That is an incredible amount of money to be gambled on!

A career resurgence to turn the tide on his fortune on and off the court is what Simmons would be hoping for. Is there a resurgence in store at Brooklyn?

Also read: $6M net worth Ben Simmons publicly shames report of him leaving Nets group chat

Post Edited By: Samir Mehdi
Ben Simmons Brooklyn Nets James Harden Joel Embiid Philadelphia 86ers

About the author

Achyuth Jayagopal

Achyuth Jayagopal is a creative writer with The Sportsrush. After previous freelance dabbles in the industry, Achyuth has authored over 300 pieces for TSR. Having followed the game of basketball for a considerable period, he pledges his allegiance to Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. Beyond speaking his mind on all things basketball, Achyuth is a Sports and Gaming Lawyer who is an ardent Chelsea fan and takes a shine to the culinary world and travelling too.

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