12 People who turned their backs on the Philadelphia 76ers

2. Ben Simmons

The Sixers drafted Simmons with the number one overall pick in the 2016 draft. He missed his first season with a foot injury before winning Rookie of the Year and becoming a three-time All-Star playing next to Joel Embiid. There was a point when Simmons was an elite defender, and the 76ers looked to be climbing toward title contention with two young stars, but things unraveled quickly.

Sixers fans will never forget his playoff meltdown against the Hawks in 2021. The 6’10 point guard struggled from the foul line and became hesitant to shoot. He was passing up open lay-ups by the end of the series as Philadelphia was shockingly upset. It was the beginning of the end for his time with the 76ers.

Simmons became upset with head coach Doc Rivers and the comments he made after Game 7. The three-time All-Star requested a trade and held out until the Sixers traded him to Brooklyn for James Harden in February 2022. Simmons missed the entire 2021-22 season and has not been the same since. He has played just 57 games with the Nets in two and a half seasons.

Ben Simmons turned his back on the Philadelphia 76ers and had an extremely messy exit, but it was not enough to take the top spot on this countdown.