Although Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell are currently in the midst of their second seasons atop the highest level, the subtle back-and-forth between the Philadelphia 76ers star and  the Utah Jazz guard continues.

With Ben Simmons infamously being named the NBA Rookie of the Year last season, the Australian star caller notably earned the honor at the expense of Donovan Mitchell.

Leading to all of the continued controversy, Simmons won the annual award during what was technically his second season as a NBA player — though the 2017-18 campaign was his first to actually suit up for the Sixers and see the court.

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Simmons was forced to sit out for an entire season upon coming off the board at No. 1 overall back in 2016 before ultimately making his NBA debut for the Sixers last season. On the other hand, Mitchell was selected by the Jazz in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft out of Louisville, making him “a true rookie” last season.

With Mitchell publicly admitting his disdain on more than one occasion over the course of the last year or so, Simmons was actually the one to fire back most recently. During a recent interview alongside famed comedian Kevin Hart, Simmons took a quick jab at Mitchell without really saying anything at all.

https://twitter.com/DidTheSixersWin/status/1097632340044599302

The strange part about this whole situation is that both players continue improve while remaining in line for very bright futures. Perhaps Simmons and Mitchell will eventually put this behind them when they are potentially competing for MVP awards and NBA titles in the coming years.