The 76ers will no longer be fining Ben Simmons for missing practice sessions and games after he claimed he had issues with his mental health
Philadelphia 76ers have finally decided to soften their stance on Ben Simmons. Adopting a no nonsense approach to tackle Simmons’ ever increasing tantrums and shenanigans, the 76ers had imposed a slew of fines on the player after he skipped practice sessions.
Simmons had been fined $1.4 million, $360,000 per game for missing four preseason games along with being clobbered with a bevy of other fines or refusing to adhere to the team’s guidelines. While he had eventually turned up to the 76ers camp on October 11 after weeks of refusing to be associated with the side, Simmons had lasted only 9 teams with the side before he was thrown out for insubordination.
Philadelphia 76ers Stop Fining Ben Simmons Owing To Mental Health Claims
Simmons was also suspended for the 76ers opening game of the NBA 2022 season after he had refused to be subbed into a drill by Doc Rivers. The entire incident alluded towards how things had reached a point of no return between both the parties with Simmons said to have gone to the Delilah Strip Club shortly after being kicked out by his head coach.
In a bid to further distance himself from the side, Simmons had gone onto claim he had back and mental health issues, ones which would see him stay on the sidelines. While many had claimed Simmons was fabricating the claims in a bid to stay away from the 76ers, the side has decided to not fine Ben Simmons anymore for missing games in lieu of his fragile mental health claims.
“The Sixers have stopped fining Ben Simmons. That was a big part of this, as you know ,the first couple weeks here when he was not showing up for games, when he did not report for camp. They’ve stopped fining him.
“Some of this is because of a standard provision in player contracts that say’ s if you’re dealing with a mental health issue, which Ben Simmons has reported to the team that he is. They’ve taken that in good faith,” Ramona Shelburne reported.