Barkley on Ben Simmons: 'He never gonna play in Philly again; fans will not forgive him' / News - Basketnews.com

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Charles Barkley was straightforward about Ben Simmon's situation in Philadelphia, talking to TMZ Sports.

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According to eleven-time NBA All-Star, the Philadelphia 76ers fans are eager for solid performances by their players, and if athletes are not delivering, the hard times are awaiting them. Barkley thinks that Simmons' time is up in Philadelphia.

"Ben Simmons never gonna play in Philly again. The fans will never forgive him. I know those fans well. I thought my name was Charles Barkley, Son of a B*tch, for a long time when I was there," Barkley said.

He also added some words on how to avoid the unpleasant situation for both sides: "You call the Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, Sacramento Kings. I mean, there are some great trades out there, but the Sixers are wasting Joel Embiid's great season; they are just being stupid."

Barkley is familiar with the dynamics of being a high-profile athlete in Philadelphia, as he spent the first eight seasons of his career (1984-92) playing for the Sixers.

Back in 2020, Barkley appeared on the Outside The Lane podcast and explained why Philadelphia requires a strong character to play here.

"You have to have a strong mindset," he spoke. "The one thing I give them credit for, if you just work hard, they'll give you your respect. But if they see you out doing stuff you shouldn't be doing, and you're playing bad, you're not going to last there long."

Simmons' inability - or unwillingness - to take shots proved costly during last season's playoff series with the Atlanta Hawks. He also drew criticism for his performance at the foul line. He made just 34.2 percent of his attempts (25 of 73) in 12 playoff games after shooting 61.3 percent during the regular season.

Last week, ESPN reported that representatives for Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers had a brief sit down, but there was no change in position on either side.

The 76ers made Simmons the No. 1 overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft. He sat out his first campaign with a foot injury, but in 275 games over four seasons, he is averaging 15.9 points, 7.7 assists, and 8.1 rebounds. His 2020-21 averages - 14.3 points, 6.9 assists, and 7.2 rebounds - were career lows.

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