Uncovering the truth behind Ben Simmons’ ‘phone in pocket’ story that further fractured his relations with Sixers

Disgruntled Ben Simmons once carried something bizarre in his pocket to Philadelphia Sixers practice before he was traded to Brooklyn.

Ben Simmons held the potential to be one of the greatest defensive players of our generation. He was brilliant until the 2021 playoffs.

An exceptional passer, Simmons knew how to wade through traffic and find a free man. His transition passing and perimeter defense made him a great asset to have on the team.

To be fair to him, the Australian was also a decent scorer until the 2020-21 post-season. His defensive skills combined with the ability to dominate the paint made him a prized player for the Sixers.

Upon his debut, Ben Simmons averaged an insane 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game. His performance drew comparisons with LeBron James’ rookie season.

Simmons, in his 6 season career (he did not play in 2 of them), has won a Rookie of the year, made 3 All-Star appearances, and won one steals title.

There is no denying that Ben is an exceptional talent. However, his fallout with Philadelphia did put a dent on his reputation.

In the 2021 off-season, Simmons was hell-bent on being transferred out of Philadelphia. Sixers, unable to find any alternative for the 6’11” guard, faced Simmons’ tantrums.

The star decided to miss all games and practices until he was traded. Philadelphia responded by docking his pay. Ben, after weeks of missing, finally caved in and showed up to practice late in October.

However, something in his pocket caught the attention of the entire community.

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Ben Simmons was not carrying his phone while in practice

His first practice of the season caught everyone’s attention but for all the wrong reasons. The practice videos showed something odd in Ben Simmons’ pockets.

The NBA world, in all its detective glory, deducted that the object in Ben’s pocket was a phone. However, an NBA insider claimed otherwise.

Shams Charania of The Athletic, revealed on the Pat McAfee:

“That was not a phone in Ben Simmons pants that was his practice jersey he was supposed to be wearing”

BREAKING: “That was not a phone in Ben Simmons pants that was his practice jersey he was supposed to be wearing” ~@ShamsCharania#PatMcAfeeShowLIVE pic.twitter.com/33QvPgnSlw

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 20, 2021

So, to reiterate Charania’s words, Simmons not only refused to wear his practice jersey but also stuffed it in his pocket. All the while in the practice.

Things only went downhill for the two parties from there. Simmons was later thrown out of practice for refusing to partake in drills.

Ultimately, Philadelphia finalized a deal with Brooklyn and received James Harden for Ben.

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