Sixers Suspend Ben Simmons For One Game

[Inklink]

Garbage attitude. I hope there's a way his contract gets terminated AND he's not allowed to sign a new one until the current contract's end date passes.

[ozbull]

An underrated factor that plays prominently in this whole thing is cultures and how our psychology makeup is shaped predominantly by cultures.

You have to factor in the differences in cultures, Ben is Aussie. Aussies seem to take pride in how "laid back" they are, which could be taken as a weakness and aloofness/ lack of engagement/ honesty in American culture. Americans on other hand value high/ honest engagement, which can easily be perceived as aggressiveness that's direct opposite of laid back in Aussie culture.

What Aussies value ("laid back"ness) is what Americans don't, and what Americans value (honest engagement) is what Aussies don't. What's valued in one culture, can easily be perceived as arrogance, ignorance, or even disrespect in another.

Ben has been in US for years so he should have acclimated to American culture. But no few years of something can replace what's hard ingrained in childhood (humans' core behavior, psychology, mindset are shaped in our first 7 years of life when our brains are still largely on dreamy theta state). Whatever's learned after the first 7 years are just layers on top/ outside of the core... but our behaviors, psychology and mindset are still largely governed by what we learned in first 7 years of our lives, what's soaked/ recorded in the core.

Ben may have learned US culture but it's just a layer outside his Aussie culture core, or people often refer to it as "social mask". During highest pressure, like when he's not producing all series, culminated by Game 7's passed up dunk, and when he felt he's attacked/ vulnerable most while wearing the mask, he had to abandon the mask and seek refuge/ safety back in his core. In other words, he's back in his Aussie culture core perceiving and processing the world and everything with it.

When you have two parties thinking of each other as arrogant, ignorant or disrespectful you have a perfect mix of toxic cocktail brewing. 

The only way for this to resolve is if Sixers organization's members, especially the ones of authority like Elton, Doc, team president, Embiid, can learn this Aussie culture, become it, and "reach out" to Ben, and only then there's a chance for Ben to trust again. 

It's a long play because obviously it's not the Sixers' fault, and their focus is elsewhere on the season. But imo this is the main psychology underlying the whole thing.

With all due respect, making tens of millions of dollars in your early 20s, employing your friends and family so that you're surrounded by sycophants, dating a Kardashian and feuding with your coach and teammates is a uniquely American experience.

He literally couldn't be more removed from an Australian 'attitude' towards his job and life.

Simmons isn't 'laid back', he's spoilt, bereft of good advice and just playing his role in the typical US pro sports theatre in which young men worth more money than we can dream of create drama and content that the plebs spend hours discussing and trying to rationalise in forums like this.

[Dr Aki]

An underrated factor that plays prominently in this whole thing is cultures and how our psychology makeup is shaped predominantly by cultures.

You have to factor in the differences in cultures, Ben is Aussie. Aussies seem to take pride in how "laid back" they are, which could be taken as a weakness and aloofness/ lack of engagement/ honesty in American culture. Americans on other hand value high/ honest engagement, which can easily be perceived as aggressiveness that's direct opposite of laid back in Aussie culture.

What Aussies value ("laid back"ness) is what Americans don't, and what Americans value (honest engagement) is what Aussies don't. What's valued in one culture, can easily be perceived as arrogance, ignorance, or even disrespect in another.

Ben has been in US for years so he should have acclimated to American culture. But no few years of something can replace what's hard ingrained in childhood (humans' core behavior, psychology, mindset are shaped in our first 7 years of life when our brains are still largely on dreamy theta state). Whatever's learned after the first 7 years are just layers on top/ outside of the core... but our behaviors, psychology and mindset are still largely governed by what we learned in first 7 years of our lives, what's soaked/ recorded in the core.

Ben may have learned US culture but it's just a layer outside his Aussie culture core, or people often refer to it as "social mask". During highest pressure, like when he's not producing all series, culminated by Game 7's passed up dunk, and when he felt he's attacked/ vulnerable most while wearing the mask, he had to abandon the mask and seek refuge/ safety back in his core. In other words, he's back in his Aussie culture core perceiving and processing the world and everything with it.

When you have two parties thinking of each other as arrogant, ignorant or disrespectful you have a perfect mix of toxic cocktail brewing. 

The only way for this to resolve is if Sixers organization's members, especially the ones of authority like Elton, Doc, team president, Embiid, can learn this Aussie culture, become it, and "reach out" to Ben, and only then there's a chance for Ben to trust again. 

It's a long play because obviously it's not the Sixers' fault, and their focus is elsewhere on the season. But imo this is the main psychology underlying the whole thing.

I dunno where you're from but you are sooo far off base on Aussie culture...

Brivegas... I used to live in Brissy (fortitude valley) myself

I can speak to that myself, that's pretty off. Aussie "laidbackness" is more like Southern California laidback style for the most part (at least in certain parts of the country, coastal NSW/QLD)... but you know when someone is a hard worker. The culture US/AUS isn't THAT far off, this coming from an American who lived in Australia for a few years. No one will ever consider Patty Mills laid back the way we consider Simmons, who just plain comes off lazy as all hell.

+1

Simmons is in the same class of entitled athlete as Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic

[Texas Chuck]

Can someone explain to me how Simmons value will go anywhere but down from here? Like I get what Philly wants, but it's clearly not going to happen. And when he starts just playing lazily in games how are you going to fine him then, because it's going to get real hard to define him being detrimental to the team at that point if he's showing up for work. I just can't understand what Philly is thinking. I can't imagine how worse of a deal we'd have taken for Leonard if SA just refused to trade him and he did this ish and made the situation even worse.

I don't think anyone is saying it will do anything else?

But I still think some smart GM is looking at this situation and saying I'm going to go make one really serious offer that isn't exactly what Philly wants, but is something they could probably live with and get this really talented guy for like 50 cents on the dollar.

Because lost in all of this is how you simply can't trade for guys like this normally. So man I'd sure love to be the team that doesn't just put some **** offer in front of Philly but tries to be the one team that makes a serious one.

That's my point, I'm (rhetorically) trying to understand what Morey is thinking

I feel like teams have been making serious offers though. The problem is that Morey wants $1.50 on the dollar for some reason I mean if LaVert and Brogdon were on the table prior to Brogdon's extension how do they not take that? That is a pretty good offer imo. Morey thinks he is somehow going to get a better player than Simmons which makes 0 sense

I have Levert as not particularly good and Brogdon as pretty good, but hurt a lot. I have that not close to a good offer. Same with CJ and one 1st. I have that not close to a good offer.

But Portland could absolutely make a serious offer if they wanted. And they should make a serious offer. This is an unexpected opportunity to maybe be able to contend with Dame. Especially with the additions of Powell and Nance meaning you could give up CJ and RoCo(or Nance if Philly prefers him) and multiple picks and still have a solid lineup and then you add a buyout guy for depth for the playoffs this year and use your MLE next year and let's go.

Indy is probably now out since Brogdon can't be traded.

[ANTETOKOUNBROS]

People would kill for Ben Simmon's god given ability and to make hundreds of millions of dollars doing what he does, and he mopes around so entitled, smug and full of himself. He should be kicked out of the league and sent to a 3rd world country to learn some humility and gratefulness.

[axeman23]

And so it begins...

[madmaxmedia]

An underrated factor that plays prominently in this whole thing is cultures and how our psychology makeup is shaped predominantly by cultures.

You have to factor in the differences in cultures, Ben is Aussie. Aussies seem to take pride in how "laid back" they are, which could be taken as a weakness and aloofness/ lack of engagement/ honesty in American culture. Americans on other hand value high/ honest engagement, which can easily be perceived as aggressiveness that's direct opposite of laid back in Aussie culture.

What Aussies value ("laid back"ness) is what Americans don't, and what Americans value (honest engagement) is what Aussies don't. What's valued in one culture, can easily be perceived as arrogance, ignorance, or even disrespect in another.

Ben has been in US for years so he should have acclimated to American culture. But no few years of something can replace what's hard ingrained in childhood (humans' core behavior, psychology, mindset are shaped in our first 7 years of life when our brains are still largely on dreamy theta state). Whatever's learned after the first 7 years are just layers on top/ outside of the core... but our behaviors, psychology and mindset are still largely governed by what we learned in first 7 years of our lives, what's soaked/ recorded in the core.

Ben may have learned US culture but it's just a layer outside his Aussie culture core, or people often refer to it as "social mask". During highest pressure, like when he's not producing all series, culminated by Game 7's passed up dunk, and when he felt he's attacked/ vulnerable most while wearing the mask, he had to abandon the mask and seek refuge/ safety back in his core. In other words, he's back in his Aussie culture core perceiving and processing the world and everything with it.

When you have two parties thinking of each other as arrogant, ignorant or disrespectful you have a perfect mix of toxic cocktail brewing. 

The only way for this to resolve is if Sixers organization's members, especially the ones of authority like Elton, Doc, team president, Embiid, can learn this Aussie culture, become it, and "reach out" to Ben, and only then there's a chance for Ben to trust again. 

It's a long play because obviously it's not the Sixers' fault, and their focus is elsewhere on the season. But imo this is the main psychology underlying the whole thing.

This is a really good observation. I didn't realize Ben was almost 17 by the time he moved to the United States.

Being laid back means you take things less personally, let things slide off and not let things get to you. I don't think anything we've seen so far seems generally characteristic of Australian values. For better or for worse, this is mainly just him (and his people.)

While I'm completely generalizing - from what I've seen in Youtube videos, Aussie's can be pretty tough.

Watch on YouTube

[leolozon]

In the real world, Ben Simmons would quit his job and find a new one. This is a professional sports problem.

Like people can/will change job everytime they get slightly criticized...

People in a high demand profession who are in the 98th percentile of that selection often do just that. In fact they change jobs ever so frequently just to get a raise and a signing bonus.

So less than 0.1% of people? So not really the "real world" mentionned by Pharenheit.

Changing jobs to get a bettter salary is a better reason than changing jobs because you get slightly criticized. Not sure why you are adding it like it's "something less".

I also disagree that most competent people with a great job leave after being told they've screwed up when they did in fact screw up.

[MrBigShot]

This dude is just embarrassing. How hard is it to show and be a professional, getting paid 100 mil+ over 4 years to play basketball.

[axeman23]

Philly fans: "Lol! Simmons don't know who he's messing with, he'll have batteries and bottles of piss thrown at him in the home opener!" Also Sixers fans: "OMG! WHY is Ben being so unprofessional???"

[madmaxmedia]

Nobody here knows what was really going on behind the scenes after they were eliminated. I have a hard time believing he is acting like this just because he got criticised. Something else had to happen.

NFL kickers have blown playoff games for their entire team on missed field goals, and they accept the good and the bad that comes with it.

But how much are his teammates and the staff really going to blame him on this? The play only resulted in a 1 point difference. I think Doc Rivers should have responded a little better postgame, but overall I doubt the entire locker room was just going off on Ben. It's possible it got heated between Ben and another player, but that shouldn't lead to what we're seeing now.

But character judgement aside (which I care less about), the important thing is Ben is not helping himself this way. I think it's making it harder for a trade to happen, not easier.

[brettski]

I dunno where you're from but you are sooo far off base on Aussie culture...

Brivegas... I used to live in Brissy (fortitude valley) myself

I can speak to that myself, that's pretty off. Aussie "laidbackness" is more like Southern California laidback style for the most part (at least in certain parts of the country, coastal NSW/QLD)... but you know when someone is a hard worker. The culture US/AUS isn't THAT far off, this coming from an American who lived in Australia for a few years. No one will ever consider Patty Mills laid back the way we consider Simmons, who just plain comes off lazy as all hell.

+1

Simmons is in the same class of entitled athlete as Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic

Exactly. Aussies are more work hard and play hard types. We love a laugh and sport is a huge part of our culture but we sure as hell aren't lasy. We also don't put up with BS. We're direct and to the point. Simmons is just a coddled baby that is hard to stomach.

On the "laid back / lazy angle" I did a quick google search and found this: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/average-work-week-by-country

Average hours worked per week in USA: 41.5 and 11.1% work over 50. In Australia its 41.8 and 13%.

[mattao313]

The 6er organization suck here regardless if Simmons is wrong or not they could have traded him for better fitting pieces and still have a competitive team snd been done with it.

Sent from my moto g play (2021) using RealGM mobile app

[JShuttlesworth]

Another L for Simmons, they just keep coming

[DusterBuster]

But Portland could absolutely make a serious offer if they wanted. And they should make a serious offer. This is an unexpected opportunity to maybe be able to contend with Dame. Especially with the additions of Powell and Nance meaning you could give up CJ and RoCo(or Nance if Philly prefers him) and multiple picks and still have a solid lineup and then you add a buyout guy for depth for the playoffs this year and use your MLE next year and let's go.

Would Dame even want to play with Simmons? I mean... after how he's acting right now... having the team give up someone who's like a brother to him for that... Iiiiiii donno man...

[azcatz11]

Philly fans: "Lol! Simmons don't know who he's messing with, he'll have batteries and bottles of piss thrown at him in the home opener!" Also Sixers fans: "OMG! WHY is Ben being so unprofessional???"

LOL - I wasn't thinking of it like that but that actually is pretty good

[DroseReturnChi]

wow this is getting out of control. basically sixers are telling him shut up and dribble. if im simmons i had enough just quit man. whats wrong with rivers.

[XTC]

Philly fans: "Lol! Simmons don't know who he's messing with, he'll have batteries and bottles of piss thrown at him in the home opener!" Also Sixers fans: "OMG! WHY is Ben being so unprofessional???"

This can't be repeated enough

The amount of people defending Philly is comical. The dude was slandered by Philly fans and the organization all summer. It's clearly not about money as Simmons is giving up money.

Dude wants out of Philly, which he made clear to the team and fans who threw him under the bus. The organization hasn't been negotiating with other teams in good faith, and Simmons is in the wrong here?

Get real.

[monopoman]

So... is this going to carry on all season?

I mean it seems at this point Sixers are playing hardball with him, I have never seen a team not bow to the whims of the player that wanted the trade at least in some capacity.

We will see if the Sixers really try to hold him to the remaining years on his contract though.

[kuclas]

Philly fans: "Lol! Simmons don't know who he's messing with, he'll have batteries and bottles of piss thrown at him in the home opener!" Also Sixers fans: "OMG! WHY is Ben being so unprofessional???"

This can't be repeated enough

The amount of people defending Philly is comical. The dude was slandered by Philly fans and the organization all summer. It's clearly not about money as Simmons is giving up money.

Dude wants out of Philly, which he made clear to the team and fans who threw him under the bus. The organization hasn't been negotiating with other teams in good faith, and Simmons is in the wrong here?

Get real.

Say what? It is about money. Or else Simmons would have sat at home in California.

He’s under contract to play.

Organization has been negotiating to trade him. Can’t find a suitable offer for someone who just turned 25. 3x nba all star and first team dpoy twice.

You cannot pout and demand out. You are under contract for a massive amount of money.

If Simmons doesn’t care about money. Why did he report and barley go through the money. Sit at home in California than. Not getting paid.