<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Thumbnail-Template-2-10.jpg"></figure><h1>Sixers coach Doc Rivers compares Ben Simmons trade saga to Donald Trump election conspiracy theorists</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-09-24T09:10:43-07:00">September 24th, 9:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-09-24T09:11:28-07:00">September 24th, 9:11am</time><address><a>Jason Patt</a>Jason Patt has been an editor at ClutchPoints since 2018. He also covers the Bulls for Forbes and SB Nation's Blog a Bull. In addition, he co-hosts Cash Considerations: A Chicago Bulls Podcast for the Blue Wire Network. If you couldn't tell, he's from Chicago.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers is currently on a media tour to promote his new <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Podcast/B08JJNDFB5" rel="noopener">docuseries podcast</a> as training camp approaches. Earlier this week, the Sixers coach made waves when he went on ESPN’s First Take and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sixers-coach-doc-rivers-tries-ben-simmons-damage-control-espn/" rel="noopener">tried to do damage control</a> on the Ben Simmons trade situation by claiming the team wants him back and that his criticism after Game 7 against the Atlanta Hawks wasn’t what it seemed.</p><p>Rivers continued his media tour with a guest spot on MSNBC’s Morning Joe this week, and he had some, um, rather interesting comments on this Simmons saga and the attempt to get him to show up to training camp. No doubt because of the audience, he brought a political reference into it.</p><p><a href="https://www.mediaite.com/sports/doc-rivers-references-trump-election-conspiracy-theorists-when-asked-about-ben-simmons-wanting-out-on-msnbc/" rel="noopener">Via Brandon Contes of Mediaite:</a></p><blockquote>“There’s times that I think we’re getting through,” Rivers acknowledged. “And there’s times that I think that I’m talking to people who still believe Trump won the election. So I’m not sure, but I’m going to keep trying.”</blockquote><p>Something tells me that comparing Simmons and his camp to Donald Trump election conspiracy theorists isn’t the best way to get the three-time All-Star to show up to training camp. Again, Rivers was certainly playing to the MSNBC audience with the Trump reference, but there’s no way Simmons will be happy to hear this.</p><p>Simmons has no plans of reporting to training camp and doesn’t want to play for the Sixers again. Philly allegedly wants to change his mind, but that ship has almost certainly sailed at this point. This has gone too far for him to come back now and make it seem like everything is okay, so there will be a trade at some point. It’s just a matter of when, where and if the Sixers are able to get back close to what they want for him.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Sixers coach Doc Rivers compares Ben Simmons trade saga to Donald Trump election conspiracy theorists

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/doc-rivers-does-damage-control-on-espn_copy.jpg"></figure><h1>Sixers coach Doc Rivers tries Ben Simmons damage control on ESPN</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-09-23T11:09:51-07:00">September 23rd, 11:09am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-09-23T11:10:37-07:00">September 23rd, 11:10am</time><address><a>Kevin McCormick</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Ben Simmons offseason saga continues to get uglier as we rapidly approach the start of training camp. After a summer full of trade discussions and rumors, the three-time All-Star remains a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.</p><p>Simmons and his camp have made it clear that he will not be reporting to Philly and plans to hold out until his trade request is met. <a href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1440341153065287685">ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday</a> the former No. 1 pick intends to never play for the Sixers again.</p><p>Klutch Sports and the Sixers have been in a stalemate for a majority of the offseason, hoping the other will blink. Countless things have been done from both sides in an attempt to gain leverage in the situation.</p><p>Following the report from Woj, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sixers-news-doc-rivers-breaks-silence-on-ben-simmons-trade-request/" rel="noopener">appeared on ESPN Wednesday morning</a>, hoping to shine a different light on the situation. Rivers was one of Simmons’ biggest supporters last season (that post-Game 7 comment aside) and complimented him when talking with Stephen A. Smith:</p><blockquote>“I just love how he plays. I love a lot of the things he does for our team. Unfortunately, we focus so much on his offense, and we don’t focus on a lot of the other things he does.”</blockquote><p>Ultimately, the Sixers hold all the leverage in this trade saga. With Ben Simmons being under contract for four more seasons, he has minimal power in what happens with his future. Because he is locked up for the long haul, the Sixers have continually tried to fix the relationship with Simmons. Despite requesting a trade and refusing to show up, Rivers still wants to see Simmons on the Sixers next season:</p><blockquote>“I can tell you upfront, we would love to get Ben [Simmons] back, and if we can, we’re going to try to do that. Ben has a long contract, it’s in our hands, and we want him back.”</blockquote><p>Rivers appearing on TV a day after a major report comes out is no coincidence. His comments certainly can be viewed as damage control from the Sixers’ side of things. Many might feel that Rivers saying these things is a waste of time, but they serve a greater purpose.</p><p>If one thing has become clear in all this, it is Daryl Morey is in no particular hurry to get a deal done. He is waiting for a trade that puts the Sixers in a position to compete for a championship, and rightfully so. There is no telling how long Joel Embiid’s prime will last, and the team cannot waste it trying to meet the demands of a disgruntled All-Star.</p><p>With no ideal trade currently in sight, this saga is likely going to carry into the regular season. That said, the Sixers are doing everything in their power to get Simmons to show up. It is their only chance of salvaging the situation.</p><p>Sitting out until a trade happens doesn’t get either side closer to what they want. Even if Simmons is still visibly upset, the Sixers will take an unhappy All-Star over nothing at all. There are multiple benefits for both parties if Ben Simmons decides to end his holdout, which is why Doc Rivers and the Sixers will continue to do what they can to try to cause a change of heart.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Sixers coach Doc Rivers tries Ben Simmons damage control on ESPN

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Doc-Rivers_-Ben-Simmons-comments-fact-checked-by-Philly-reporter.jpg"></figure><h1>Doc Rivers’ Ben Simmons comments fact-checked by Sixers reporter</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-09-22T15:43:59-07:00">September 22nd, 3:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-09-22T15:43:59-07:00">September 22nd, 3:43pm</time><address><a>Angelo Guinhawa</a>Angelo Guinhawa is a basketball and soccer/football editor/writer. He uses his background in digital marketing to make sure you get to read his work. He has previously worked for FOX Sports PH and a number of reputable sports media outlets. If he's not writing or watching sports, he's likely scouring online for his next NBA card purchase.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sixers-news-doc-rivers-breaks-silence-on-ben-simmons-trade-request/" rel="noopener">recently appeared on ESPN</a> to clarify the comments he made about Ben Simmons after their Game 7 loss in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Simply put, it was an attempt to salvage his relationship with the Australian playmaker and encourage him to come back to the team amid his trade demand.</p><p>In his talk with Stephen A. Smith, Rivers expressed his desire to resolve their issues with Simmons and that they would “love” to have him back on the team. When asked about his comments that created a narrative that he doesn’t see the 25-year-old a championship-caliber point guard, the veteran tactician denied what he said and suggested it was misinterpreted and blown out of proportion.</p><blockquote>“I want to correct that. I would love you guys to play what I said, because, and I’ve told you this before Stephen A. I never said what was reported. The question was asked about Ben, it was the first question after we just lost the game 7. My answer was ‘I’m not answering any of that right now, guys. I don’t even know how to answer that.’ That had nothing to do about Ben,” the Sixers coach explained</blockquote><p>However, <a href="https://twitter.com/KyleNeubeck/status/1440700607996710912" rel="noopener">Kyle Neubeck of the Philly Voice</a> fact-checked Rivers’ latest comments. According to the Sixers reporter, the question about whether Ben Simmons can still be the point guard of a championship team was the fifth one thrown at him–contrary to his claim that it’s the first.</p><p>Furthermore, Neubeck emphasized that what Rivers said on ESPN is nowhere near what he said during that postgame presser after the playoffs.</p><p>Here’s the video of Doc Rivers’ comment on Simmons last June:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Doc Rivers answers a question whether Ben Simmons can be the point guard of a championship team <a href="https://t.co/8xL35u98RC" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/8xL35u98RC</a></p><p>— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) <a href="https://twitter.com/WorldWideWob/status/1406809346957316096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">June 21, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>It’s interesting to note, though, that it took three months for Rivers to clarify his comments. Moreover, it is one of the reasons why Simmons demanded a trade, and it seems too late already to backtrack on his comments.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Doc Rivers’ Ben Simmons comments fact-checked by Sixers reporter

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Doc-Rivers-Ben-Simmons-Sixers.jpg"></figure><h1>Sixers coach Doc Rivers breaks silence on Ben Simmons’ trade request</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-09-22T08:10:38-07:00">September 22nd, 8:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-09-22T08:11:34-07:00">September 22nd, 8:11am</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a freelance sports journalist and full-time editor for ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP, he's writing predictions across the European soccer and NBA world for bettors at Sports Betting Dime, one of the fastest-growing sports betting sites in North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Even though Ben Simmons <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sixers-news-ben-simmons-wont-report-camp-play-philly-again/">has said he will never play another game for the Philadelphia 76ers</a>, Doc Rivers hasn’t changed his stance on the Aussie. The Sixers head coach <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcFarzetta/status/1440689262823755793">made an appearance on First Take during Wednesday’s episode</a> and made it clear that he still wants Simmons to be part of Philly’s core:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"We hear it all, but we're not going to give up on that…I just love how [Ben Simmons] plays. I love a lot of the things that he does for the team…but we have to go through all this to get him back"</p><p>-Sixers Coach Doc Rivers on <a href="https://twitter.com/FirstTake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">@FirstTake</a></p><p>— Marc Farzetta (@MarcFarzetta) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcFarzetta/status/1440689262823755793?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">September 22, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Surely, it will be a task in itself for the Sixers to sway Ben Simmons back in the direction of staying with the team. He is refusing to show up to training camp but at this point, there have been no enticing trade packages that would be worth shipping him out of town.</p><p>Indeed, Rivers has a point. Simmons does a lot of things right, despite his poor shooting. There aren’t many players across the Association who can guard all five positions. He’s also a tremendous rebounder and playmaker. It was clear, his confidence was in the sewer during the playoffs for the Sixers.</p><p>Rivers also noted that Philadelphia has even hired a free throw and shooting coach to help Simmons’ struggles. Evidently, the team is doing everything imaginable to fix this relationship. At just 25-years-old, there is so much left in the tank for Simmons. A fresh start elsewhere could be a good idea, but Rivers believes that Ben Simmons can still be an important piece to the Sixers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Sixers coach Doc Rivers breaks silence on Ben Simmons’ trade request

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Sixers-rumor-Ben-Simmons-insulted-by-Doc-Rivers_-controversial-comments-and-now-he-wants-Philly-to-pay.jpg"></figure><h1>RUMOR: Ben Simmons insulted by Doc Rivers’ controversial comments and now he wants Sixers to pay</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-09-06T18:27:15-07:00">September 6th, 6:27pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-09-06T20:04:28-07:00">September 6th, 8:04pm</time><address><a>Paolo Songco</a>A father of two over-energetic boys, Pao has been a writer for ClutchPoints for many years. His passion lies in all things NBA and he has a knack for speaking his mind in his articles -- even when at times it gets him into trouble with the fans. Controversial? Maybe. Excellent writer? Definitely.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Philadelphia 76ers have given Ben Simmons a number of reasons to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sixers-news-ben-simmons-stokes-fire-of-trade-rumors-with-latest-instagram-post/" rel="noopener">want to leave the team</a>. According to reports, one of them involves Sixers head coach Doc Rivers and a controversial remark he gave moments after Philly was eliminated from the playoffs last season.</p><p>For starters, here’s how Rivers responded after he was asked if he thought Ben Simmons could be a point guard for a championship-winning side:</p><blockquote>“I don’t know the answer to that right now,” Rivers said.</blockquote><p>To be fair, you have to take into context the details of the situation when Rivers was faced with this daunting question. The Sixers had just suffered a crushing Game 7 loss against the Atlanta Hawks. For his part, Ben Simmons was disappointing throughout, to say the least. Then again, you can’t deny that Rivers threw his star under the bus with his refusal to back him, so to some extent, it does seem like Simmons’ animosity is warranted.</p><p>According to NBA insider Keith Pompey, this is one of the main reasons behind Simmons’ desire to jump ship. Not only does he want to leave, but it sounds like the former NBA Rookie of the Year wants Doc Rivers and the Sixers to pay for their views:</p><blockquote>“There are teams that are interested in Ben Simmons, they just don’t want to pay the steep price,” Pompey said during an appearance on <a href="https://twitter.com/975TheFanatic/status/1434896461469294592">97.5 The Fanatic</a> Monday morning, via <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/76ers/news/ben-simmons-feels-doc-rivers-reprimanded-controversial-comment">Justin Grasso of FanNation</a>. “Ben Simmons knows that, so they are saying why should we help the 76ers out when they feel like when Doc Rivers said what he said, nobody apologized, and Doc was never reprimanded.”</blockquote><p>It does seem that Simmons has ill feelings against Doc Rivers and the organization in general, which actually isn’t surprising at this point. This only further indicates that right now, there’s virtually no chance Simmons is going to be a Sixers player next season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

RUMOR: Ben Simmons insulted by Doc Rivers’ controversial comments and now he wants Sixers to pay

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https://twitter.com/DocRivers/status/1313256199849213952/

https://twitter.com/DocRivers/status/1310693712524120067/

https://twitter.com/DocRivers/status/1303564830713040898/

https://twitter.com/DocRivers/status/1300438843217162240/

Coach John Thompson JR.
He was a true builder of young boys to men.  Set the tone for all of us. We will remember him as a coach. But anyone who came in contact realized, he was much more....
 A mountain of a man.… 

https://twitter.com/DocRivers/status/1288536200295350274/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTjMqda19wk

https://twitter.com/DocRivers/status/1288194742321164290/

https://twitter.com/DocRivers/status/1287441383809093632/

Our democracy works best when we all participate. Get registered to vote. 

https://twitter.com/DocRivers/status/1276175394081824768/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvKPBJVAPWE

1995-96 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
4.0	1.8	1.6	0.3	0.9

1995-96 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
4.0	1.8	1.6	0.3	0.9

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RUMOR: Ben Simmons insulted by Doc Rivers’ controversial comments and now he wants Sixers to pay

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