‘What a piece of…’ – Ben Simmons sounds off on former coach Doc Rivers’ throwing him under the bus

Sacramento Kings guard Ben Simmons reflected on his infamous moment during Game 7 of the 2021Eastern Conference semi-finals in a new documentary.

Simmons’ career has not been the same since he chose to pass instead of go for a dunk over Trae Young in the 2021 NBA Playoffs, leading to a shock 76ers playoff exit and the end of Simmons time as an NBA star.

While Simmons was at fault in that moment, he was almost singularly scapegoated by everyone as the reason the 76ers blew that series, especially head coach Doc Rivers throwing him under the bus.

Ben Simmons slams Doc Rivers for throwing him under the bus

In a new ESPN documentary which is yet to air, Simmons reflects on the incident against the Hawks and Rivers’ reaction to it, using choice words for his former coach.

“How did I feel? I was like, ‘What a piece of s—.’”

He further elaborated on his feelings by trying to explain what Rivers probably went through he in that moment, openly saying that the 2008 NBA championship-winning coach went into self-preservation mode.

“When you have a relationship with somebody and they have your back, I think certain things are supposed to be handled certain ways. But then you also gotta look at it from the side of ‘He’s got a job.’ You know, he’s making his money. He ain’t trying to lose his job or anything like that. So, when times get tough, people start panicking. People throw people under the bus, and that’s just — it’s just what happened.”

The 76ers would trade Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets for James Harden in 2022 and would then let Rivers go in 2023, embracing a new philosophy under Nick Nurse which eventually led to the team also acquiring Jaylen Brown and LeBron James in 2026.

Rivers coached the Milwaukee Bucks for two seasons but he consistently underachieved, and he has not been called for another HC job since leaving the Bucks in the summer of 2026, expected to take a season off by becoming a media figure once again.

Simmons had a few rough years after his issues with Rivers and the 76ers, but is back for the 2026-27 season with the Kings, hoping to shine individually for a team with low expectations.

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