Nick Piccone
Last night, the NBA moved the upcoming Sixers-Rockets game on Friday, January 27th, to a prime time ESPN slot. It took the place of the Chicago Bulls-Miami Heat matchup, and gave Joel Embiid another chance to shine in the national spotlight.
RELATED: The NBA Flexed the Sixers to National Television over the Bulls and Heat
But there’s someone else who’s yet to play in the national spotlight, or in the spotlight of the NBA at all. His name is Ben Simmons. And once he heard about the Sixers getting another nationally televised game, he posted the following on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BPY6CaNALKI/
Of course, all the Twitter doctors out there assumed this was Simmons’ way of saying he was eyeing a return for that game. After all, when he first got hurt and underwent surgery on a Jones fracture in October, a January return was speculated upon. Now, it’s more likely a February return. But that didn’t stop many people from speculating about Simmons’ Instagram post and the timing of it all.
Before tonight’s game against the Toronto Raptors, Sixers head coach Brett Brown addressed the media and said there was “no chance” Simmons would be ready to play in an NBA game by next Friday. [CSN Philly]
“There is no chance … I am a social media hermit. I have no idea what you’re talking about. But I do know that there is no chance that he will play then.”
Well, so much for that. Or…