“Didn’t ask Ben Simmons why he came back, this isn’t 7th/8th grade”: Tobias Harris plays down Sixers’ locker room tension ahead of 2021-22 NBA season start

Tobias Harris has joined the Sixers in helping Ben Simmons back to their fold despite the looming air of an incoming trade for the 25-year-old.

There are few atmospheres worse than a locker room with a few players set to depart. Everyone is feeling the same tension about how to conduct themselves around their soon-to-be-past teammates.

However, when you get to the NBA level, there is little room for emotions to overpower cold, hard competitive spirit. And it takes a lot of competitive pride and ego from any player to make it to the league.

Tobias Harris was among the Sixers’ chief culprits who came up short in their series against the Hawks. Simmons and Embiid’s failures to score in a couple of 4th quarter losses was quite well-documented.

Also Read – Oh my god! Did Ben Simmons just…? When a kid was left speechless as the Sixers star knocked down consecutive 3-pointers in a practice shootaround.

However, the Sixers combo forward didn’t face nearly as much criticism as the other 2 stars of the team did.

“Didn’t ask Ben Simmons why he came back, this isn’t 7th/8th grade”: Tobias Harris

Tobias Harris isn’t the type to lose his cool when presented with tough questions by inquisitive media members. So when he addressed the local reporters at their practice facility today, it was with a self-assured, confident air:

“We got an opening to our season coming up. Truth be told, that’s honestly where our focus is. We’re grown men here, this isn’t middle school, 7th grade, 8th grade ‘Oh you did this to me! You did this!'”

“Nah, as soon as we step out on that floor, it’s just basketball and honestly that’s the way it should be. We’re here for one thing, and that’s to be the best team we can be and compete, get better as a group.”

“So all the energy and this or that, the vibe was what it was. Was it perfect? No. But we’re here to do a job and that’s to win basketball games. So put our big boy on the floor and we get on the floor and do what we do.”

Tobias Harris was asked if the vibe at practice today was awkward. He smiled and facetiously said, “No, it was perfectly fine.”

And then he expanded on the Sixers’ mindset with Ben Simmons returning. pic.twitter.com/SZcdSMP2si

— Rich Hofmann (@rich_hofmann) October 17, 2021

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