The Ben Simmons soap opera took another just a day after the Philadelphia 76ers started their season with a 115-95 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
After being suspended by the team for refusing to participate in a defensive drill on Tuesday, the former No. 1 overall pick was back at the team’s training facility for a scheduled individual workout.
Instead, Simmons told team officials that he was dealing with a back issue. The medical staff treated the 25-year-old and cleared him for on-court work, but it didn’t matter. Simmons had already exited the building.