Ben Simmons has been at the center of NBA chatter lately. His agent, Bernie Lee, just dropped him, and it came right after Simmons turned down interest from the New York Knicks, according to the New York Post’s Stefan Bondy. Rumors started flying that the former Sixers star “is questioning whether he even wants to continue playing in the NBA,” and Simmons himself admitted he mulled retirement last summer while rehabbing a back injury. But if you really dig into it, the real reason might be something else entirely—maybe that viral picture of Simmons and Trae Young from the 2021 playoffs holds more of the story.

That picture has Young going viral, and fans can’t stop talking about it. Some are even joking that he’s the reason Simmons was moving around, pointing to the infamous shot of Simmons passing up a layup under the basket. Trae recalled the story behind it on Club 520 Podcast, saying, “Like I was about to fake block it. And the picture looks crazy. Like I’m literally about to fake jump and block it. No, I was I was just going to… He said it, too. He said I, I thought he was going to foul me, which I, I probably would have just grabbed his arm and yeah. Yeah, I was really probably about to swing through and grab his arm and make sure he didn’t shoot free throws.”

NBA fans will never forget that moment in Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals when Ben Simmons passed up a dunk over Trae Young. Instead of finishing at the rim, the former Sixers guard opted to pass the ball, which led to a blown play and ultimately contributed to Philadelphia losing 103-96 to the Hawks and the series.

The fallout was immediate: head coach Doc Rivers questioned Simmons’ decision-making in the postgame press conference, and team president Daryl Morey reportedly tried to move the 6’10” guard after the season. Even his teammate Joel Embiid was left speechless, “I’ll be honest, I thought the turning point was when we had an open shot, made one free throw, and missed the other, then they came down and scored.”

Simmons never played for the Sixers again, and he was eventually traded to the Brooklyn Nets on February 10, 2022, leaving that play as an enduring image in fans’ minds.

Previously, in a podcast interview with former teammate JJ Redick on The Old Man & the Three, Simmons explained his thought process during the play. He said, “In the moment, I just spun, and I’m assuming Trae is going to come over quicker. So I’m thinking he’s going to come full-blown, and I see Matisse [Thybulle] going – You know, Matisse is athletic, can get up. So, I’m thinking okay, quick pass. He’s got to flush it, not knowing how much space there was. It happened so quick that you just make a read.” He added that in the playoffs, you need to make the right decision most of the time, and for that moment, it just happened so fast.

Simmons concluded by admitting he should have dunked the ball and said he’s okay with how everything unfolded. Reflecting on the attention the play received, he noted, “Then I didn’t realize how, you know, everyone was posting, and I’m like, it was that big?” Earlier this summer, Redick also interviewed Trae Young to get his perspective on the infamous play, showing just how much it still resonates with NBA fans.

The Club 520 Podcast co-host also didn’t hold back, saying Simmons could and should have dunked over Young instead of passing up the ball in Game 7 of the Sixers’ semifinals, where Philadelphia lost 103-96 to the Hawks. That 2020-21 season also marked Simmons’ last All-Star campaign.

If that wasn’t enough to get

fans talking about potential retirement, the ex-76ers star himself added fuel to the fire with a recent Instagram post. He shared a carousel of photos set against the Australian beach, captioning it, “The land down under #australia.” One shot had him shirtless with a cheeky smile, another showed him holding a fishing rod, and the last framed his silhouette against a purple-tinged sunset. The whole vibe screamed a player completely at ease, making fans wonder if he was hinting at more than just a holiday.

For those who’ve followed his rollercoaster NBA journey, the post felt almost like a soft announcement—like he was teasing his next move and maybe even hinting at coming home. And honestly, he’s welcome here too. But it looks like Simmons has finally decided to step up and shut all the rumors and speculation down once and for all.

Ben Simmons ends retirement rumors

Ben Simmons just put an end to all the retirement chatter swirling around him, and he did it with a single, crystal-clear word: “No.” Fans had been buzzing after reports suggested the 29-year-old might be considering calling it quits, especially with free agency heating up and his agent reportedly walking away. Simmons made it clear on Instagram when a fan asked if he was retired, replying simply, “no.” That one word might be short, but it carries a lot of weight as teams finalize their rosters for the 2025-26 NBA season.

Simmons’ journey has been anything but smooth. Drafted No. 1 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016 out of LSU, he missed his entire first season due to a foot injury. He returned in 2017 to win Rookie of the Year, averaging 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.2 assists. He was an All-Star for the next three seasons and made All-Defensive and All-NBA teams, quickly becoming one of the league’s top two-way stars.

But the last few years have been rocky. A combination of injuries, mental health challenges, and trade moves—from the Sixers to the Nets and then a short stint with the Clippers—has limited him to just 108 games over the past three seasons.

Last year, Simmons split time between the Nets and Clippers, averaging 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists while struggling to find consistent minutes. Despite interest from teams like the Knicks, Celtics, and Kings, he remains unsigned with training camps around the corner, leaving fans wondering where Simmons will land next—even as he insists he’s far from retiring.