“I would be disappointed and shocked if the Sixers paid Ben Simmons a tribute video”: Charles Barkley believes the former Sixers guard deserves no welcoming for disrespecting the fans in Philadelphia

Sixers veteran and TNT analyst Charles Barkley doesn’t want Philadelphia to pay Ben Simmons a tribute video, calling it soft and disappointing.

The Sixers-Nets game in Philadelphia on Thursday night is one of the highly anticipated games of this season, giving Game Seven vibes. The one player responsible for this tension is Ben Simmons, who formerly played for the Sixers. The former ROTY was drafted, by the Philly franchise, as the first pick.

Though the two parties enjoyed some success together, Simmons’ performances in the playoffs, especially last year, worsened their ties. The 6″6′ guard’s inability to develop a jumper and shoot free throws would be exploited by the opposing teams, costing the Sixers in a big way.

The term Hack-a-Simmons became highly popular during the series against the Hawks, with the opposition deliberately fouling Simmons to send him to the foul line. Surprisingly, the inexperienced Hawks would eliminate the Sixers, with teammate Joel Embiid and coach Doc Rivers questioning Simmons’ potential as their point guard.

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What followed is no secret, Simmons wanted out at any cost, and he did everything he could for that. Former Sixers player Charles Barkley criticized Simmons on various occasions, asking him to improve his game. The Inside the NBA analyst feels he disrespected the Sixers fans.

Charles Barkley doesn’t want the Sixers to show Ben Simmons any remorse.

Barkley was drafted, by the Philly franchise, as the fifth pick. The Chuckster played 8-seasons for the Sixers before being traded to the Phoenix Suns. During his time in Philly, Barkley rose to immense popularity, becoming one of the top power forwards in the league.

The eleven-time All-Star averaged a double-double in his stint with the Sixers consisting of 23.3 PPG and 11.6 RPG. Barkley was an impressive 57.6% from the field. Thus he knows what the fans in Philly expect from their players.

Chuck has from the very beginning been critical of Simmons’ behavior, calling him unprofessional for missing games and practice just to get traded. In light of the Sixers-Nets game, Barkley stated that he didn’t want the Sixers to pay tribute to Simmons.

“It would be one of the softest moves I’ve ever seen. Ben Simmons really disrespected the Sixers, Philadelphia, and the fans. I would be totally shocked and disappointed if they did a tribute video.”

Barkley’s comments may come as slightly harsh considering Simmons played four seasons in Philly, winning the ROTY and making the playoffs each time.

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Hopefully, Simmons can silence his critics when he suits up in the Nets uniform to play.