Ben Simmons was kicked out of Tuesday’s 76ers practice for not being engaged, according to sources.
That led to the three-time All-Star being suspended for Wednesday night’s season-opener on the road against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Simmons was expected to speak to the media Tuesday for the first time since the Sixers lost to the Atlanta Hawks in last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals. Instead, Doc Rivers is expected to address the media after the situation.
This comes one day after Simmons appeared disengaged in Monday’s practice.
While it remains unclear if or when he will play, there was serious doubt over the summer that Simmons would return to the Sixers at all. Simmons asked for a trade over the offseason and only recently returned to practice after a two-week holdout that caused him to miss training camp. Simmons also didn’t suit up for any of the Sixers’ four preseason games.
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Simmons first came back to the team on Oct. 11, when he showed up to the practice facility for a COVID-19 test and entered the league’s health and safety protocols.
He has since participated in two practices and was seen on the court during drills when media entered the gym on Monday. Taking the podium and answering questions would have been the next step for Simmons if this process continued on a gradual trajectory. But as has become clear throughout this saga, there are no guarantees.
You can stream the Sixers’ news conference here, courtesy of NBC Sports Philadelphia.