Former 76ers Player Does Not Mince Words About Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons might be the most hated player in the NBA today. The former first-overall pick does not have a lot of fans at this point in his career. The disappointing trajectory of his career and playoff blunders have garnered him a lot of hate.

It's not just fans that don't like Simmons, though. Apparently, even some of his former teammates on the Philadelphia 76ers don't like him. In an appearance on Richard Jefferson's podcast, Georges Niang broke down why he did not like Ben Simmons.

Niang was not a fan of how Simmons carried himself in practice. In particular, the ex-76ers player talked about Simmons' infamous 2021 holdout. He explained that it was infuriating to see a player of his caliber not practice while everyone else was working hard.

“He was walking around the facility; you’d be like, 'What’s up, man?' Because they were like, ‘try to welcome him back’ and he’d just nod, and that’s when I was like, '[expletive] this dude,'" Niang said.

Back in 2021, Simmons engaged in a holdout with the 76ers after requesting a trade. This was the culmination of months of frustration over Simmons' performance. Simmons would eventually be dealt to the Brooklyn Nets as part of the James Harden trade during the season.

Niang's comments echoed what many critics have been saying about Simmons. To them, it always felt like Simmons never worked as hard as other stars. That certainly rubbed other players the wrong way, as shown by Niang's reaction.

Simmons, now a member of the Brooklyn Nets, has been plagued by back injuries for the last few years. His career will be one of the NBA's biggest what-ifs, as fans had high expectations for him entering the league.