Former Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers' Game 7 take on Ben Simmons after losing to the Atlanta Hawks in 2021's Eastern Conference semifinals went viral. After Simmons' dud in the 76ers' 103-96 loss in the do-or-die finish, a reporter asked Rivers if his star point guard could lead a team to a championship, and Doc didn't know how to respond. He was unsure.
Although Rivers has apologized for his postgame press conference after the 76ers' season-ending loss, people don't forget. Simmons, who finished with five points on 2-of-4 shooting, certainly hasn't, calling out his former head coach, per Inquirer.
“How did I feel? I was like, ‘What a piece of sh*t’… When times get tough, people start panicking,” Simmons said. “People throw people under the bus, and that's just what happened.”
Former 76ers All-Star Ben Simmons famously past up an open layup to a teammate in the final frame of 2021's Game 7, as many assummed he was afraid of getting fouled, and heading to the free-throw line, where he was a below average shooter.
Two years removed from his Simmons admission in 2021, Doc Rivers revealed he regrets not sticking up for his All-Star point guard after losing Game 7, per ESPN's Jamal Collier.
“I had a terrible press conference after that Game 7,” Rivers said. “We lost. I said something — I meant something different, but it was taken differently. That started it. Then Joel [Embiid] had a bad press conference.
Article Continues Below“I don't know if the whole Ben thing was going to happen regardless, but I didn't like me being a part of that. So your first thing is, how can I handle that better? How can I answer that question better?”
After missing the 2025-26 NBA season, Simmons signed a one-year deal with the Sacramento Kings over the summer.