Stephen A. reacts to Ben Simmons telling the 76ers he is not ready to play | First Take

Stephen A. reacts to Ben Simmons telling the 76ers he is not ready to play | First Take
Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins react to Ben Simmons meeting with the Philadelphia 76ers’ medical staff, Doc Rivers and his teammates and telling the team he is not ready to play to his expectations, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.
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[TMZahida]

I keep picturing Simmons in the corner of the 76ers locker room like Kyrie on RDCWorld.😂

[TyphoonX]

Stop saying, "He's a jump shot away from being Lebron James 2.0". What makes Lebron James so great is the discipline to strive for greatness. Ben Simmons has zero traces of that, "PERIOD"!

[melroze]

I don't think Ben really enjoys playing basketball at all, but he likes the lifestyle the money brings him. His game really hasn't improved since college.

[khanfusionmusic]

Ben Simmon's lawyer is having him play his cards just right. Very clever.

[etrayde]

I would make Ben Simmons the highest paid G-League player in NBA history! I’m definitely not trading him unless it’s for equal value!

[JerryJ]

This feels like Lebron going back to Cleveland in a Heat jersey except… Ben’s still on the team 😂

[TheMissiIe]

People taking what he said out of context, he said "I'm not mentally ready" that is NOT an admission to dealing with mental issues, depression and the rest

[dannyschear]

" mentally ready " is a slick way of saying you don't want to play.

[theena]

For all of LBJ's faults, his dedication to the game, his personal development, and teams over the years can't be questioned. To call this drama queen LBJ 2.0 is insulting.

[MrBiznessProductions]

This is one of the very few times that I agree with Stephen A.

[josejr.garcia]

I like what Perk said. Sometimes you just need a break to refocus and that’s good for your mental health. You don’t have to be clinically depressed to work on your mental health. Every time the weekend hits and you’re happy you don’t have to go to work the next day, that’s good for your mental health.

[JustaKarenDiscoveredTheIntrnet]

"If being a big Poosy is a mental illness then Simmons got it" ~Doc Rivers

[tjraven]

Impressive move by Simmons and crew. This probably lets him keep his money, no suspension, no fines, no nothing. Brilliant

[riverofcustard]

Stop it with that “one jump shot away from being LeBron 2.0” nonsense. Ben Simmons could shoot lights out, he still would be nothing like LeBron.

[matthewgabbard]

Idk guys, I'm starting to change my mind on this. Ben is a sensitive kid, and we forget he is just a kid. He's getting criticized for not being great at one freaking thing, and in all other aspects of the game, he is great. We know Philadelphia fans are pretty cruel. This is the first time he's not been absolutely great at something. Lets give him a break and not pile on

[shvnlocalcrew]

The way Perk stares at the camera before he talks is hilarious 😭

[tylerbelanger]

I don't like Stephen A Smith but I give him props for pointing out the obvious that this is a bs excuse and is a cowardly move from Ben Simmons

[BumooJKim]

So you’re telling me after signing the 5 year max deal in 2019, all the sudden he says he’s not ready? Give this man an Oscar 😂

[bigchillin]

Mental health is a DAILY battle. Thing is, if I wanted to go and leave because of mental health and my fear or anxiousness about being in a space that reminded me of my failure, and again the conclusion I came to (right or wrong) was to just leave it behind, I wouldn't tell you it's because of mental health reasons I'd just tell you I wanted out. People laugh and jest about mental health so unless I trust you specifically I'm not voicing that concern to you, just being fair.

Now with Simmons specific to this situation I hear both sides assuming validity on both sides. Mental health and fear on behalf of Simmons make sense. But if people would articulate it more compassionately, they're requests/expectations for player growth are in no way farfetched or outlandish to be frank.

[aidenrogatz]

They were way too nice. He’s just scared. And didn’t prepare the entire offseason