Shaq says an angry Ben Simmons messaged him after ‘crybaby’ remarks

Apparently Ben Simmons didn’t appreciate being called a “crybaby.”

During the most recent episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal said the missing Sixers star messaged him over comments he made last week ahead of TNT’s coverage of Sixers-Lakers.

Shaq went viral after referring to Simmons as a “crybaby,” adding he has had no respect for Simmons’ decision to sit out the season while demanding a trade out of Philadelphia. Shaq echoed those comments on his podcast, saying Simmons was “acting like a baby.”

“He got on my DM and said some things, and I said some things back,” Shaq said, adding that he told Simmons he’s leaving teammate Joel Embiid out on the court to play alone.

“He was mad. He’s probably mad because I’m his LSU brother, and I am,” Shaq said. “I’m still his brother … I care about him. I want to see him succeed.”

Shaq declined to elaborate further on the back-and-forth, but his remarks come after ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported that Simmons thinks Embiid blamed him for last season’s playoff loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Simmons also said he was “frustrated” coach Doc Rivers didn’t try to visit him while training over the summer in Los Angeles, according to ESPN, though he acknowledged Rivers reached out several times over the summer in an attempt to speak with him.

“That’s the first time I’ve ever heard that,” Rivers told the Bucks County Courier Times. “I always have supported Ben. I want him to do well. It’s just the excuses and all that stuff.

As of now, it’s unclear if Simmons will be dealt before the NBA’s Feb. 10 trade deadline. My colleague Keith Pompey has reported that team appears all-in on acquiring Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden, even if it means Simmons ends up remaining on the team the rest of the season.

There have been rumors teams might be interested in a deal that also includes guard Tyrese Maxey, but it doesn’t look like the Sixers have any interest in dealing the rising star, who has quickly become a fan favorite.

During an interview on 94.1 WIP Thursday morning, Kentucky men’s basketball coach John Calipari said he recently had a discussion with Rivers about Maxey, who played one year for the Wildcats before being drafted by the Sixers in 2020. According to Calipari, Rivers made it clear the Sixers had no interest in getting rid of Maxey.

“I was worried to trade Ben, they were going to have to move Tyrese. I said, the way they could move him is, ‘I’ll take Ben, but I gotta have Tyrese.’ And I said to Doc, ‘Please tell me that’s not happening,’” Calipari told WIP host Angelo Cataldi. “[Rivers] said, ‘Never happen.’ He said, ‘Look at my eyes, that will never happen.’ So I probably shouldn’t say that publicly.”

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