Ben Simmons Reflects on Passing Up Open Dunk With 76ers in 2021 Playoffs, 'I Wasn't Hitting My S--t'

Three-time All-Star Ben Simmons relived one of the most infamous sequences of his NBA career.

While the nuance and context inevitably gets lost to time, Simmons passing up what appeared to be an open shot around the basket in a 2021 playoff loss is considered the moment when everything started going wrong for him.

The free-agent guard went back five years in an interview with Clay Skipper of Men's Health and discussed that pivotal play.

Simmons said he "wasn't hitting my s--t" and thought the ball was better in the hands of teammate Matisse Thybulle.

"Motherf--ker, you knock it down!" he told Skipper of his internal dialogue with Thybulle.

"I just gave it to somebody who was shooting a higher percentage free throw at the time. So what is the difference?" he said. "How about he should've made the fucking free throws? But he didn't and it is what it is. That's still my boy. I love the guy."

It was clear as the series unfolded that Simmons' confidence had deserted him. He went 15-of-45 from the charity stripe across seven games and attempted 14 total shots in the final three contests. The 6'10" point forward was never a good shooter or volume scorer, but it was a little shocking to see how he lacked the edge to even attack the basket.

Simmons was a bona fide star at the time and deferred to a second-year forward who shot 42 percent overall and 44 percent from the free-throw line during the regular season.

This is all far enough in the past that everyone has mostly moved on. His comments are bound to bring up bad memories for Sixers fans, though.