Ben Simmons is not holding back five years after the fact, openly calling Doc Rivers “What a piece of s–t” in a new documentary for his controversial comments following the Philadelphia 76ers’ brutal Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Yeah, you read that right. Five years later, the sting is clearly still fresh, and Simmons is spilling all the tea on how he really felt about his former coach.
That Comment That Started It All
So, what exactly lit Simmons up all those years ago? It was Rivers’ answer when a reporter hit him with the question everyone was thinking after Simmons’ struggles in that Hawks series: Could Simmons be the point guard for a championship team going forward? Rivers’ response was chillingly direct: “I don’t know that question or the answer to that right now.” For Simmons, that was the ultimate betrayal. He felt that when you have a relationship, certain things should be handled differently. But he also admitted Rivers had a job to do and wasn’t trying to lose it, implying that when times get tough, people panic and throw others under the bus. And that’s exactly what Simmons believes happened. It’s hard to forget that infamous Game 7 moment where Simmons passed up a wide-open dunk, a moment that really defined the offensive issues he had throughout that whole series.
The Unceremonious End and a Fresh Start
That whole ugly situation was the beginning of the end for Simmons in Philadelphia. After requesting a trade the following offseason, he ended up missing the entire 2021-22 campaign. Then he played for the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers for three seasons before actually taking the 2025-26 season off. Now, he’s back in the league with the Sacramento Kings, trying to get things on track. It’s a wild twist for a guy who came into the league as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. He was Rookie of the Year, a three-time All-Star in his first four seasons, and a back-to-back All-Defensive First Team selection in 2019-20 and 2020-21. He was supposed to be a cornerstone for the 76ers, a franchise building block. But those offensive struggles, especially in that pivotal series, really painted the picture for his unceremonious exit.
This whole raw, honest take from Simmons is dropping in the new “Being Ben” documentary, set to debut this Sunday on ESPN. If you want to hear more about what really went down and how deep those wounds still run, you know what you’re watching this weekend.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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