The Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons have finally moved on. It was one of the most bizarre stories in NBA history, as it was the first time a team held out a players’ payment out of a refusal to play.
Daryl Morey eventually got what he wanted, landing a superstar in return for the former first-overall pick. Simmons, on the other hand, will get a fresh start somewhere else in a championship contender.
But people are still worried about the precedent that Simmons’ situation could set. That’s why Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks— the very same team that exposed him in the playoffs— shared his thoughts on the situation.
Trae Young Shares His Thoughts On Ben Simmons’ Situation
(transcript via The Athletic)
“I like to see things from both sides — both sides, both perspectives,” said the Hawks star. “As a player, I can see where Ben’s coming from (with his Sixers frustration). As a teammate, as a coach, you feel like they should always have your back. They’re your brother. You’re there grinding in the offseason, before the season started and then throughout the whole season you’re with each other.”
“And then after the playoffs, everybody jumps on you as far as the fans, and then the team, your coach, and it feels like you just lose connection. So it’s hard to really go back to that,” Young followed up.
“But at the same time, I mean, we all take constructive criticism, and we all got to learn and get better in our areas of growth. … I can see it from both sides and see where both sides can be frustrated.”
At the end of the day, it’s hard to judge a player for wanting to do what’s best for his career. But they should also comply with the contractual obligations they agreed with. Maybe, the league will take some action to try and fix these situations somewhere down the line.