Ben Simmons seemed to enjoy a relaxing Sunday afternoon on the couch while sipping a glass of red wine. His choice of entertainment, however, was a not-so-subtle jab at his former team.
Simmons shared a picture of his living room on his Instagram story, and the TV in the background showed the Philadelphia 76ers getting blown out by the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. And given Simmons' difficult history with the 76ers, it seems unlikely he was rooting for a comeback.
Let's check in on Ben Simmons' Instagram story... 👀 pic.twitter.com/Ts1LETbOnu
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) May 14, 2023
The game was ugly for Philadelphia, particularly in the third quarter when the 76ers only scored 10 points -- which tied for their fewest points in a playoff quarter in the shot-clock era, according to ESPN. Simmons took the photo when there was still 3:24 remaining in the fourth quarter, but it was clear the Celtics had it in the bag as they led by 30.
The final result ended up being a 112-88 Boston win. Philadelphia's bad luck continues, as the team hasn't reached the Eastern Conference finals since 2001.
Simmons, the 76ers' No. 1 overall draft pick in 2016, was an NBA All-Star from 2019-2021 and looked like he could have a promising career. However, the relationship between Simmons and the 76ers began to sour in 2021 when there were talks about him potentially getting traded for James Harden. The saga went on for over a year, and Simmons was eventually traded to the Brooklyn Nets for Harden in February 2022.
A year later, Simmons' former teammate Georges Niang went as far as saying Simmons "handicapped" the team.
Simmons' relationship with 76ers star Joel Embiid was also never really a close one even though they played together for fours seasons. When discussing their relationship last October, Simmons said "I don't think there was really a relationship there."
