Fifth Avenue Forum

According to Kyle Neubeck of The Philly Voice, Simmons “was suspended due to an event that happened at practice” Tuesday. Simmons was scheduled to speak with the media following practice, but will no longer do so.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that head coach Doc Rivers “threw” Simmons “out of practice today and the suspension came shortly thereafter.” Wojnarowski also reported that “Simmons’ reluctance to physically and mentally engage with the Sixers since his return has been a consistent theme” and “was tossed early in practice, essentially for a refusal to participate in the next stage of the session.”

“I just thought he was a distraction today,” Rivers told reporters. “He didn’t want to do what everyone else is doing.”

Rivers was mostly diplomatic, saying that he’d not only welcome Simmons back at practice Thursday, but that he expects the three-time All-Star to be here. Rivers went on to say that he doesn’t believe that the situation is a distraction and that team will welcome Simmons back if he buys in.

Joel Embiid was … much less diplomatic.

“At this point I don’t care about that man, honestly,” Embiid said of Simmons. “He does whatever he wants. That’s not my job. That’s [the front office’s job]. I’m only focused on trying to make the team better, win some games, play hard every night, try to lead the guys that are here, and I’m sure they feel the same way. Our chemistry has been excellent despite everything else that happened the last few months. So like I said, I don’t really care.”

Boston Celtics games have been pulled off Chinese media after center Enes Kanter tweeted a two-minute video of himself expressing support for Tibet and wore shoes with the phrase "Free Tibet" on them during Wednesday night's game against the New York Knicks.

"I'm here to add my voice and speak out about what is happening in Tibet. Under the Chinese government's brutal rule, Tibetan people's basic rights and freedoms are nonexistent," Kanter said in the video posted Wednesday on Twitter and Instagram. He called Chinese President Xi Jinping a "brutal dictator" in the text when he posted the video and wore a shirt with the image of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader.