Lakers’ legend Shaquille O’Neal explains his harsh comments on Sixers’ Ben Simmons during and after the 2021 NBA Playoffs
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After a fantastic regular season, the Philadelphia 76ers shocked the entire NBA Community with their playoff performance. They did well against the Wizards in round 1, however, they messed up against Trae Young and the Hawks in round 2.
Ben Simmons was the one who shocked the community the most, with his free throws, and reluctance to shoot. There were many situations when Simmons could have changed the game with open shots in the 4th quarter, but he refused to take them and passed them up. As expected, Simmons received a lot of lash back all around for his performances. For someone who is an All-Star, a performance like this is totally unacceptable. Every analyst and reporter had something to say about the same. Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal was no exception.
Shaquille O’Neal explains his harsh behavior towards Ben Simmons
Shaquille O’Neal has often been known for his harsh and blunt takes. There were no exceptions when it came to Ben Simmons. However, some felt Shaq was being a bit too harsh. In a recent episode of ‘The Big Podcast with Shaq’, the Lakers’ legend explains himself.
He said,
“When I’m going at Ben, it ain’t from a bad place. It’s from a place of leadership…As a friend, as someone that loves and respects the sport, if I see he need to do something to get to that next level, I’m gonna always say it. So, I was just saying about young fella, just be aggressive.”
While Ben Simmons is expected to heed everyone’s advice, his future is uncertain. Although Simmons is signed with the Sixers till 2025, many expect that he has played his final season in a Sixers jersey. After his abysmal performance in the playoffs, there are very few people who expect the Sixers to not trade him out.
