Not too long ago, John Wall made history as a former first overall pick to retire from a successful 11-year career. He played on three teams, the Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets, and LA Clippers, and could hear his name get called into the Hall of Fame one day.
While he was playing, Wall was one of those point guards that every fan loved. He had a cold mixtape of highlights for the Washington Wizards, and helped guide stars like Bradley Beal into the league by showing them the ropes on how to succeed.
Overall, millions of fans are certainly sad that Wall will not be playing again, but happy given how exciting his time in the NBA was.
However, Wall could be joined by another Clipper, and coincidentally another first-overall pick in Ben Simmons, as far as the most recent players to enter retirement. Simmons’ case is far more shocking, yet with the latest updates, this seems to be a path he is considering, and it could be a safe space for him.
Ben Simmons turning down offers to multiple teams hints that he may feel retirement is his best choice
On the latest edition of the ‘Stein Line’, Ben Simmons, the Philadelphia 76ers’ 2016 first-overall pick, reportedly declined an offer to sign with the New York Knicks and had the Boston Celtics calling his cell phone.
This is a surprise, as many had assumed all along that Simmons was not receiving many calls from around the league to join a roster. He had an underwhelming run with the LA Clippers, and contenders may have been using this as a reason to avoid his contributions.
But Simmons is a veteran, nonetheless, with defensive and rebounding strengths. So, it makes sense why the Knicks and Celtics wanted to sign him.
Moreover, Simmons has been heavily criticized since he was a 76er, and this has left a negative impact on his confidence. He had a great start to his career, but the 2021 playoffs reshaped what was next for him, as the LSU product went from a Defensive Player of the Year finalist to next being seen on the Brooklyn Nets playing 42 games and averaging less than seven points.
That said, Simmons may use retirement as a safe space to avoid any further opinions on what members of the media and fans across different platforms have to say about his production at the current moment.