 What's the word, y'all? Ignore my forehead. You are going to focus in on my eyes and everything below it, okay? Okay, look at that. I'll just keep this, this twist right here, the entire video. Okay, so the last time we talked about Ben Simmons on this channel, I was basically saying like, I felt like I was being a dead horse. Every single day things got worse and worse between Ben Simmons and the 76ers, and I had made a vow not to talk about things again until it was resolved, whether it meant a trade or whatever. And today, out of nowhere, we got this from Woj. I think Woj was first, I don't know. Does it matter? Are you one of them first people? Do you care about being first or you care about being right? Or do you care about being, I don't know? Sixers officials in clutch CEO Rich Paul have progressed in talks over recent days on a resolution to bring all-star Ben Simmons back to Philadelphia in the near future that came out of nowhere. Then there was a quote from agent Wojonowski that said, the plan remains for the 76ers to continue canvassing the league for trades, but the possibility of Simmons reporting to the team has increased in recent days, sources tell ESPN. I just read two full tweets and did not stutter. Thank you, thank you. The selects you're aware. And what was the catalyst for Ben Simmons and his teams and I guess we'll come. It was the dollar. Say what you want. I don't care how much money you've made in your career or how much money you are promised over the next four years. Missing out on 30 plus million dollars? Don't seem like nothing nobody wanted to do. The 76ers stood their ground and called the bluff and you know what? I respect the 76ers for that. They had told everybody we will not cave in and we will not trade Ben Simmons for a package that we don't deem to be enough. And just two days ago, they was like, hey, it's pulling the trailblazers. We want CJ McCollum, three first round picks and two pick swaps. They were on that hill that we will not trade him away. If we not get it back the exact package that we want and it worked out because Ben Simmons is back. Them boys was, I think it was promised like eight million dollars a couple of days ago that net money didn't hit the bank account. And Rich Paul was like, hey, you know, it wouldn't be bad to show face. It wouldn't be bad to just show up and see what happens. Now I've been debating with myself over the past couple of weeks about this whole Ben Simmons thing, trying to figure out how I actually feel about it. Because on one hand I am completely a part of the player empowerment movement. I do believe that players deserve the right to request a trade if something is not working out. But Ben Simmons one was so different than anything we've ever seen in history that I couldn't completely be on Ben Simmons' side. Like I'm gonna use this team for example and this player for example, not a shot at them or anything, just the fact that this is a small market team. Hypothetically, if Carl Anthony Towns were to do the same thing for the Minnesota temples where he signed an extension and then he's like, you know what? I don't even wanna play for y'all no more. So I'm not gonna report or do nothing. That is a detriment to the entire city of Minnesota and that whole organization. So I can't be on Ben Simmons' side completely even though I understand the fact that he wants to be traded. I just can't agree with the way they went about it. And overall it was just a big old bluff. He like, Kenny how is this different than James Harden? From when James Harden requested out. James Harden showed up, he was hooping. He might not have been given his best foot or come into press conference afterwards and say, I don't think we're good enough. That type of thing and you can decide for yourself which one is more toxic, is it being in a locker room or is it being like anti this team or is it being completely away from the team avoiding everything and then coming back because that first walk in to the practice facilities about to be as awkward as it gets. Join the beads talking. Everybody in the whole city of Philadelphia still, I don't care. I don't care what is on TV. That first game in Philadelphia better be on national TV. Flex everything. I don't care. Put it on all the major channels. I need to see what happens with Ben Simmons in that first game and his reception from the fans because the last time that man played, things were not great. And all the things that went on this off season, there's not that many Ben Simmons supporters left in Philadelphia. Ben Simmons for a bag of right now. Bye Ben. Any thoughts on the Sixers? Ben Simmons. There you go. So I made a poll after the Ben Simmons news dropped and I asked Philly fans, how you feeling? 10% of them said, I'm happy. Ben Simmons, come back. 17% of them said, I'm mad. Ben Simmons, stay at home. And 73% of the people that aren't a fan of any of the team but wanted to know the results. So what I'm just saying is that majority of the fans, the Philadelphia 76ers fans that voted on my poll were like, they're upset that Ben Simmons is coming back probably because it is super toxic. And say what you want about Ben Simmons and Jordan LaBeat as a pairing, they're gonna be a really good regular season team, all things considered. Now I would guess that the thing that Daryl Maury and the Elton Brand and the 76ers campus telling Ben Simmons is that just come play for us and we will get you out of here by all star. I'm sure that's the type of conversation they had with James Harden too. Like listen, we hear the fact that you are upset here but we do want you to be here until you're not. So come in, play ball and let's see what happens. Now, now Ben Simmons in the tough spot because if he come in and he's he killing it, what they gonna do this trade value, make it even higher. These I just told you, they wanna CJ and basically five first round picks. If Ben Simmons comes in is even better, they gonna be like, oh, we want CJ and six first round picks and seven first round picks. But you also don't wanna be terrible because you got the whole city that's well in the throat beer bottles at your head. So Ben Simmons in the tough position that he set himself up for. Oh yeah, if you just report ignore the fact that the fans are burning your jerries and stuff, I know it's hard. I'm saying it like it's easy to ignore the fact that the whole city is after you. But like if you just came into Cam Day number one and tried to keep it as professional as possible, maybe walked in and told them, hey, I'm unhappy. Please get me out of here. You wouldn't be in a position where everybody still hates you. Where your teammates were like, hey, we've been trying to call a boy for two months and nobody picked up. I won't be heard as a teammate, bro. You just walk in and you, this is my star and point guard. Hey, Terry Maxey, you've been kind of cooling and pre-seeded so far. So it's just a very weird scenario situation. I can't wait to watch it. I can't wait to turn on the TV and they say starting at guard. What did they say? Point guard? Did they say powerful? I don't know, Ben Simmons and the crowd goes wild with booze. Yep. And what version of Ben Simmons are we getting, bro? What version of Ben Simmons are we getting? Off-season drop. He dropped a whole mixtape of him killing against Joe Johnson and a bunch of other players where he's shooting threes and stuff. If you're doing that, bro, you don't even need to request a trade, G. That's it. The man put his house for sale in Philly. Are we just Airbnb'ing it for the next two months? What's the word? We stay in the hotels in Philly? What's the word? I don't understand. But again, at the end of the day, the thing that holds the most value is not your morals, not your wants. It's the money. It's the money. I gotta report, bro, that's $30 million this season. $30 plus million. I can't afford to actually miss that. I know we told the world that we're willing to forego this entire year's contract, and they called the bluff. 76 is called the bluff. And just like an hour or so before that this is from NBC Sports, Ben Simmons reportedly would have no problem going to Sacramento, which is a fire, in my opinion. I would love that. So this is from David Aldrich at The Athletic. He said, I've written this on the Simmons to Sack before, and the rationale still holds. Simmons is an elite defensive player. He is an elite passer. He has four years left on his deal. The Kings were historically bad defensively last season. Yes, they were. Simmons wouldn't be the savior, but him and Fox, whichever one of Halliburne Mitchell, the Kings kept in the scenario. I don't want Tyrese to get traded. That would be, as a friend of his, I don't, whatever. Sack would suddenly become a problem defensively, wildly switchable, and able to get from defense to offense in a heartbeat. I'm pretty sure they just mean Ben Simmons is open to go anywhere, because that's what he wants. He's willing to go anywhere that's not Philadelphia. So I don't know. Playing is the right thing to do, Ben. I legit think that playing is the right thing to do, because maybe teams would be willing to give up all of that if you come in and hoop very well. If he is still here at the trade deadline, this is one of the craziest stories of redemption for an organization and player together. Even deeper than that, if they end up being wildly successful, I can't imagine, I can't wait to tell my future kids about the Ben Simmons stuff that happened in the 2021 off season, and then they went on to win a championship. I don't know. Let me know what you think about the Ben Simmons situation, and hopefully the next time we talk about all of this after a trade.