NBA legend Charles Barkley has called on the Philadelphia 76ers to suspend Ben Simmons without pay if he decides not show up for training camp, labelling the saga between the Australian and his former team as “BS”.
News emerged this week that Simmons made his trade request official to the Sixers in a “secret” meeting. The Australian demanded to be traded to either the Lakers, Warriors or the Clippers and declared he won’t be attending team activities.
The 76ers want to avoid trading the star when his value is low and are in a tough situation less than two months out from the start of the season.
Speaking on ‘The Mike Missanelli Show’, Barkley urged the Sixers to stand their ground and not give in to the former No.1 pick.
“This is total BS and if I’m the Sixers, we had our annual Sixers dinner the other night and I said to those guys I will call Ben Simmons,” he said.
“If you want to be traded that is fine, we’re not giving you away. We’re not going to trade you to where you want to be traded.
“For someone who wants to give up the deal, we’re not taking 25 cents on the dollar. If we don’t get the deal we want, you are going to be playing right here in Philadelphia.
“You don’t run the 76ers, we gave you $200 million, the only thing we ask you to do is shoot the damn basketball and now you’re mad because we’re telling you to shoot the basketball.
“Now you want to go somewhere, I’m not having that. I will take the best deal. If you show up and don’t play, I’m going to suspend you and you won’t get paid.”
The Australian is entering the second year of a five-year, $177.2 million ($A285m) and told the team he is willing to eat thousands of dollars in fines in order to accelerate his trade demand.
Philadelphia doesn’t want to part ways until it finds a suitable trade, with Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard the ultimate target.
Simmons is seemingly annoyed by comments made by head coach Doc Rivers and teammate Joel Embiid, who took aim at Simmons for passing up a wide open dunk in their Game 7 loss.
Barkley took a shot at Rivers for roasting reporters who asked about taking Simmons out of the game because of his shooting woes, but said it was up to Simmons to take responsibility.
“First of all, I blame Ben number one because he’s already got one coach ran out of town because he wouldn’t shoot the ball but now he’s on the clock,” he said.
“I think what annoys Philadelphia fans the most, and I’ve been here 36 years, I think they’re mad because he’s afraid.
“I use this analogy, when you watch the Milwaukee Bucks play and that boy Giannis is not a better free throw shooter than Ben Simmons, but he ain’t scared.
“You’ve got to admire that. He doesn’t care if he misses 100 of them, he doesn’t run from the ball. That dude plays so hard, you’ve got to admire him.
“The hardest thing, not just as a basketball player but as a person, is to look in a mirror and say it is my fault I am not successful. That’s a really hard thing.
“I’m not sure there is a single person in the Sixers organisation that Ben Simmons had from day one that gave him tough love.”
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