Ben Simmons’ Rise, fall and one more shot at redemption

In 2021, the Philadelphia 76ers finished as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They cruised through the first round, dismantling the Washington Wizards in five games, before facing the fifth-seeded Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.

Coming off a historic regular season, Philadelphia entered the series as the clear favorite.

The last time the 76ers had finished atop the Eastern Conference was in 2001. Led by MVP Allen Iverson, Philadelphia reached the NBA Finals that year but would not return to the championship series for two decades. The franchise also endured a five-year playoff drought between 2013 and 2018 before finally emerging as a legitimate contender again.

“It starts from when the Sixers finished a season 10-62,” Joel Embiid said at the time. “I think that’s when it started. From that time, we’ve only improved.”

Embiid was referring to the 2015-16 season, although he remembered the record incorrectly — the 76ers actually finished 10-72. Just four years later, Philadelphia was once again competing for an NBA championship.

But the Hawks proved far tougher than expected.

With home-court advantage, Philadelphia hosted Game 1 and appeared to have control early in the series. Instead, Atlanta stormed out to a 26-point lead. The Sixers launched a furious comeback but ultimately fell short, losing 128-124.

Philadelphia responded in Game 2 behind a spectacular 40-point performance from Embiid, but Atlanta refused to back down.

The Hawks eventually took a 3-2 series lead before Philadelphia forced a decisive Game 7 back at home.

There was no tomorrow. Win and advance, or lose and go home.

These are the moments every great player dreams about — carrying a team when the pressure is at its highest, dominating the box score, making the decisive play and delivering when everything is on the line.

Philadelphia had Embiid.

It also had former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons.

Just months earlier, Simmons had appeared in his third NBA All-Star Game. He had been one of the most important players in Philadelphia’s rise from the bottom of the league to championship contender.

Then came the moment that changed everything.

With 3:30 remaining in the fourth quarter and Atlanta leading 88-86, Simmons received the ball near the paint. He backed down his defender, dribbled a couple of times and spun toward the basket.

Despite briefly losing control of the ball, Simmons found himself completely open underneath the rim.

An easy dunk appeared to be there.

Instead, Simmons passed the ball to Matisse Thybulle, who was fouled and made just one of his two free throws.

The play immediately became one of the most infamous moments in recent NBA playoff history.

Philadelphia never recovered.

The Hawks held on for a 103-96 victory, eliminating the 76ers and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. For Philadelphia, it was a devastating end to a season that had promised so much.

Simmons did record 13 assists in Game 7, but he scored only five points. He also shot just 33% from the free-throw line throughout the series.

That sequence became a defining moment in Simmons’ career.

More importantly, it marked the beginning of the dramatic collapse of his relationship with the 76ers.

The Beginning of the Fall

Following Philadelphia’s elimination, Simmons made it clear that he no longer wanted to play for the organization.

Despite having four years remaining on his contract, he requested a trade and indicated that he was prepared to miss training camp and practices to force the issue.

Philadelphia initially struggled to find a suitable trade partner.

Simmons followed through on his threat.

He missed training camp, practices, meetings and four preseason games. When he finally returned to the team on October 11, 2021, tensions remained extremely high.

Less than a week later, head coach Doc Rivers removed him from practice.

By that point, the relationship between Simmons and the organization appeared to be beyond repair.

Simmons stopped showing up again, resulting in further fines from the franchise. By the end of 2021, he had reportedly accumulated more than $10 million in fines.

Eventually, Philadelphia decided it was time to move on.

From Philadelphia to Brooklyn

In January 2022, the 76ers traded Ben Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets.

The move was supposed to provide Simmons with a fresh start.

Instead, his time in Brooklyn was plagued by injuries.

Over three seasons, Simmons appeared in only 90 games and never averaged more than 6.9 points per game. Questions surrounding his confidence became increasingly common, although Simmons later pushed back against the idea that confidence was the main issue.

He instead pointed toward his physical health.

“So many people speak about confidence,” Simmons said. “If I was not confident, I would not get on the court again, I would not go to the Clippers, I wouldn’t play in Brooklyn. It’s health. It’s just being healthy.”

In February 2025, the Nets waived Simmons and bought out his contract.

Just two days later, he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Simmons appeared in 18 games for the Clippers before becoming a free agent during the summer of 2025.

Rather than immediately searching for another contract, Simmons focused on rehabilitation. Lingering leg and back problems had disrupted the most important years of his career, and he chose to concentrate on getting healthy.

He ultimately missed the entire 2025-26 season.

For many observers, that appeared to be the end.

The former All-Star seemed to have fallen too far from the player who once looked destined to become one of the NBA’s biggest stars.

But Simmons wasn’t ready to give up.

One More Chance in Sacramento

In early September, the news finally arrived: Ben Simmons was returning to the NBA.

The former All-Star agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Sacramento Kings, giving him another opportunity to revive his career.

Simmons had already hinted at his desire to return several months earlier.

“I plan on getting as strong as I can physically, getting my ass on the court, and then the team realizing that my abilities will be needed,” Simmons said in December 2025.

He had also mentioned the possibility of returning to Philadelphia or joining the Miami Heat, praising Heat coach Erik Spoelstra and the organization’s culture.

Miami ultimately wasn’t interested.

Sacramento was.

Simmons impressed Kings general manager Scott Perry during a workout in Miami before traveling to Sacramento for additional training. He also made a strong impression on head coach Doug Christie.

After meeting with the organization’s leadership and completing an in-depth medical examination, Simmons was offered the opportunity he had been waiting for.

A way back.

The Talent Was Always There

At 30 years old, Simmons still has something many players never possess — extraordinary natural ability.

Born and raised in Australia, the 6-foot-10 guard was a unique basketball prospect. He could defend multiple positions, push the ball in transition, create opportunities for teammates and overpower smaller defenders.

Before his NBA career went off course, Simmons had already demonstrated just how special he could be.

At only 15 years old, he represented Australia at the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship. Against the Czech Republic, he produced 26 points, 10 rebounds and five steals.

Those performances helped earn him opportunities with Australia’s senior national team training camps.

Simmons later spent one season at LSU, arriving as the No. 1-ranked recruit in the country and immediately generating enormous expectations.

His combination of size, athleticism, ball-handling and passing made him unlike almost any other prospect.

He averaged 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game as a freshman while shooting 56% from the field.

He was one of only two Division I freshmen to average a double-double that season, while his 23 double-doubles led all major-conference players.

In December 2015, Simmons produced one of the most spectacular games in LSU history, recording 43 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, five steals and three blocks.

His 43-point performance was the most points scored by an LSU player since Shaquille O’Neal.

Although LSU missed the NCAA Tournament, Simmons entered the NBA Draft and was selected No. 1 overall by Philadelphia in 2016.

From 2018 through 2021, he became a three-time NBA All-Star and appeared to be one of the league’s foundational young stars.

He won NBA Rookie of the Year after averaging 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. In 2020, he also led the league in steals.

The potential was undeniable.

Then one major weakness began to overshadow everything else.

Simmons’ Biggest Weakness

Simmons struggled to shoot.

He did not make a three-pointer during his first two NBA seasons. He made two in his third season and three more in his fourth.

Since then, he has added very few.

Simmons has gone just 5-for-36 from three-point range for his career, while his career free-throw percentage sits at 59.2%.

Eventually, opposing defenses figured out how to exploit the problem.

Defenders began leaving Simmons open, allowing them to clog driving lanes and make life more difficult for teammates such as Joel Embiid.

There was still plenty Simmons could do.

He remained an outstanding transition player, a dangerous finisher around the basket, a capable post player against smaller defenders and an excellent passer.

But without a reliable jump shot — and with his reluctance to shoot from outside — his offensive game became increasingly predictable in half-court situations.

That weakness became one of the biggest factors in Philadelphia’s playoff collapse.

It also contributed to the deterioration of Simmons’ relationship with the organization.

His greatest weakness ultimately became his downfall.

Can Simmons Write a Different Ending?

Basketball loves a comeback story.

Few players have fallen from such a high point as dramatically as Simmons.

Not long ago, he was a three-time All-Star, a defensive standout and one of the NBA’s most promising young players. Now, after years of injuries, criticism and uncertainty, he is fighting simply to establish himself again.

Sacramento could provide the perfect environment.

The Kings won only 22 games last season and finished second-to-last in the Western Conference. Expectations will not be overwhelming, and Simmons won’t necessarily be asked to carry the franchise immediately.

Instead, he can focus on staying healthy, rebuilding his confidence and rediscovering the qualities that once made him such a dangerous player.

At 30, time is no longer on his side.

But his career isn’t necessarily over.

If Simmons can stay healthy and rediscover the aggressive, athletic player who once looked destined for superstardom, Sacramento could become the beginning of another chapter.

The rise was spectacular.

The fall was painful.

Now comes one more opportunity.

One more chance to prove that Ben Simmons still belongs in the NBA — and perhaps, finally, to give his remarkable career the ending it deserves.