Australian basketball great Andrew Bogut has criticised Ben Simmons‘ inner circle, suggesting the Sixers star’s holdout may not have been his decision.
Simmons has attracted heavy criticism for his actions, and is currently on mental health leave with Philadelphia electing to stop fining him as he receives treatment.
READ MORE: Sixers backflip as Simmons debacle takes turn
While it is still unclear when Simmons will return to the court, he has resumed working out with the Sixers once again after being sent home from practice last week.
Bogut criticised Simmons’ behaviour, pointing to experiences with Australia’s national team when he said the 25-year-old had “form for doing these kinds of things”.
“It’s not a good look for anyone, it looks really poor on Ben,” he told Triple M’s Rush Hour WA.
“We experienced it in the international team. You just hope he gets his head right.”
Bogut doubled down on the criticism of the Aussie star, urging him to make some of his own decisions.
“You’d have to jump through all 55 layers of people just to get to him, that’s the first thing,” he said. “It would take you three or four weeks.
“The thing with him is, when you get him one-on-one, he’s not a bad kid. He’s actually engaging, he’ll have a chat with you.
“It’s just the handlers and people around him, whether it is his family, agent or manager. I think they’re advising him wrongly.
“That is the most disappointing thing. I don’t think he makes a lot of his own decisions, my advice to him would be ‘you’re almost in your mid-twenties, time to put pants on and run your own career instead of pouring off to all your handlers.”
Simmons’ conduct has resulted in a number of Sixers greats weighing in, with Charles Barkley particularly critical, and Allen Iverson also explained the problem.
“With Ben, I think the connection with the fans got out of hand and that’s what he didn’t want to have to deal with coming back,” he said.
“My whole thing with our fans is, we’re with you if you’re with us, but when we feel like you don’t want to be with us? They’ll kill your a–“.