Ben Simmons Back In Philly

Born and raised in Philadelphia, I am a lifelong Sixers fan and, as it happens, a sport psychiatrist who has worked with a professional basketball team (not the Sixers)

I do not think it is a good idea for Ben Simmons to accompany the nets and sit on the bench in street clothes when they play the Sixers on Thursday night. Yes, it would show toughness and mental strength, two qualities Simmons seems to have had in short supply in the fourth quarter of last season‘s playoffs. But the negative fallout, I feel, would be tremendous.

First, the Philly fans would be merciless. This would be their first chance at Simmons Pregame, and walk through the first quarter, the chants Of “Ben sucks” and other four-letter Anglo-Saxon phrases would rain down on Simmons and the Net bench. The taunts would be most intense after a Harden basket - a “So there!“ From frustrated fans who have been jolted in so many ways by so many professional athletes for so many years.

This would not be a good look for the NBA. In fact, it would be an embarrassment, replayed time and again on SportsCenter. It would probably take Joel Embid, standing at half court at the end of the first quarter with a microphone, employing the fans to just focus on the game and let Ben alone for the next three quarters.

The NBA, Sixers, and Philly fans will take a hit from the pundits, as will the Nets for bringing Simmons along and exposing him to this. But my biggest worry as a psychiatrist is that Simmons could take the biggest hit. I hate diagnosing from afar, but Simmons has admitted to mental health issues, and my guess is that he has an anxiety disorder, probably social anxiety disorder, characterized by an intense fear of embarrassment and humiliation. How else to explain why a world-class professional athlete won’t take a jump shot in public and can’t make a free throw? And my guess is that he has had this problem for years and either won’t get help or can’t be helped.

As a Sports psychiatrist, I worry that whatever progress Simmons has made since his exit from Philadelphia could be undone by the humiliating and embarrassing chance and torment from his ex fans on national TV. Does anyone win if the above scenario takes place?