Ben Simmons playing in front of 76ers fans is a 'factor' in him wanting out of Philadelphia?
Ben Simmons playing in front of 7ers fans reportedly is a "factor" in him wanting out of Philadelphia, ESPN's Brian Windhorst said during an appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
"It's not just that he doesn't wanna play there anymore," Windhorst said. "He doesn't want to be in front of those fans. I don't think he ever intends to show his face there again unless he's part of the visiting team."
Sixers fans are known as some of the toughest in the NBA. They've been especially hard on Simmons, who had a hideous playoff performance last season.
Windhorst's comments come after The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Saturday that Simmons declined to meet with several of his teammates in Los Angeles this week. Joel Embiid, Tobias Harris and Matisse Thybulle were among the players who wanted to attempt to convince Simmons to remain with the franchise for the 2021-22 season.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski also reported earlier this week that Simmons "intends to never play another game" for the Sixers and has cut off all communication with the team since an August meeting in L.A. in which he informed management of his decision to hold out.
The 25-year-old's relationship with the 76ers has been rocky since he was nearly traded to the Houston Rockets last season in a package for James Harden.
Simmons is under contract through the 2024-25 season after signing a five-year extension worth $177.2 million in July 2019. However, it's unclear how many teams are currently interested in him as the Sixers reportedly have set a high asking price.
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