Shaq eviscerates Ben Simmons over absence from 76ers: 'I don’t respect him'

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Shaquille O’Neal had some harsh criticism for Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons before Joel Embiid’s 26-point performance in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

O’Neal again took issue with Simmons choosing to sit out during the season and said the 76ers player was running from critical assessments of his play instead of facing it head-on and working on his game. The Basketball Hall of Famer said if it was up to him, Simmons would be gone.

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Philadelphia 76ers' Ben Simmons takes part in a practice at the NBA basketball team's facility, Monday, Oct. 18, 2021, in Camden, New Jersey. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

"The difference between" Simmons and Embiid, O'Neal said, "is that [Embiid] can take criticism without being a crybaby and he still wants to play, because me and Charles (Barkley), we’ve been on him. We stay on him. We tell him to his face what he needed to do. He didn’t cry. He didn’t say I wanted to be traded. He didn’t complain about mistreatment and that’s the difference. That’s why I like and respect him," he said on TNT.

"The other guy I don’t respect. And I’ve been thinking about it. You’re missing the whole season because they asked your coach a question – can we win without you? And your coach gave a funny answer. That should tell you, in the summertime, you need to work on your game. You don’t think I haven’t been criticized by you guys and Stephen A. (Smith) and haven’t been criticized by LA media and New York media? Great players get criticized but the great players also step up to the criticism and perform.

JOEL EMBIID SCORES 26 POINTS, LEADS 76ERS PAST LAKERS