Paul Pierce On Doc Rivers Ejecting Ben Simmons From Practice: "You Really Have To Be An Asshole For Doc To Kick You Out Because Doc’s One Of The Coolest Coaches."

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Paul Pierce recently reacted to Doc Rivers kicking disgruntled 76ers star Ben Simmons out of practice. The Australian point guard was the talk of the town during the offseason thanks to his refusal to return to the team, requesting a trade and refusing to meet teammates in Los Angeles. 

The Boston Celtics icon discussed this topic as he knows one of the people involved in the event, Doc Rivers. He and Rivers went to two NBA Finals, winning one championship in 2008 against the Los Angeles Lakers. 

The Truth claims that it must have been a pretty bad situation for Rivers if he decided to kick somebody out of practice. Talking on CLNS Media’s Cedric Maxwell Podcast, the former ESPN analyst said he only saw Doc doing that once, labeling the head coach as 'one of the coolest.' 

“If Doc kick you out of practice, then that’s bad,” Pierce said. “I think I’ve seen Doc kick somebody out of practice maybe once? Like Doc ain’t gonna kick you out for nothing. You really gotta be an ass**** for Doc to kick you out of practice. Cause Doc is one of the coolest coaches. He understands the player, and so I don’t know if that relationship can be mended back together. I feel like it’s so far gone … it’s draining to a franchise. It’s draining to your teammates if you’re trying to win.”

Seeing what Pierce said, Simmons must have gotten on Rivers' nerves. His return to the team didn't start well. He was spotted emotionless, with his phone in his pocket during his first practice. After getting ejected from the gym and refusing to practice again, fans attacked him. 

Simmons recently stated he's not mentally ready to play and needs time to get things back on track. That is a good thing for him and the Sixers. Perhaps this all will be a bad moment in his relationship with the franchise, but nothing else. Philadelphia still considers Ben an essential piece for their success. It remains to be seen if the player feels the same.