Ben Simmons has been subjected to some crazy rumors over the last year. One rumor that particularly hit hard was the report from Ric Bucher which suggested that Simmons left the Brooklyn Nets group chat when asked to play in Game 4 of the first round of the playoffs. This was a wild rumor that appeared to be believable due to Simmons' penchant for not playing.
Simmons immediately denied the rumor, and Bucher's reporting was put into question. Today, Simmons' interview with JJ Redick was posted on YouTube, and he addressed Bucher's rumor directly. As you will see, Simmons revealed how the Nets players weren't even using the group chat during the playoffs. This was confirmed by Patty Mills, who swears by the fact that Simmons never left the team group chat.
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"That's what I hate about the Internet. F--king people just make anything up, and it just gets taken too far," Simmons said. "But no, I didn't leave the group chat. ... I actually texted Patty [Mills] about that, and I was like, 'Yo, did I leave a group chat?' I was so confused, and he's like, 'Bro, no one even said anything in the group chat for like a month. There was nobody even talking in the group chat when we got to the playoffs."
Simmons' interview with Redick was quite revealing as he spoke about his time with the Sixers and how he feels about his experience in Philadelphia. It is worth a watch as you might just come out of the piece feeling bad, yet hopeful for Simmons.