Much has been said about Aussie NBA superstar Ben Simmons‘ attempts to add a three-pointer to his game, but a big old brawl between his Philadelphia 76ers and the Minnesota Timberwolves suggests the bloke has been studying his chokeholds, too.
Both involve a precise extension and contraction of the elbow, but we digress.
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Footage of the Wednesday night clash shows the moment Simmon’s teammate Joel Embiid and Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns shoved each other around during a fast break further up court.
Simmons, a few steps ahead of the fray, can be seen running over, grabbing KAT, and tumbling down in the enormous pile of limbs (notably, the ref can be seen walking away from the whole ordeal. Smooth).
A secondary camera appears to show Simmons executing a pretty full-on chokehold on Towns before suited staffers convince him to relinquish the 2.13m centre. It was just about as much biff we’ve seen involving Australian players since that fight last year.
Both Embiid and Towns were ejected from the game, which the 76ers went on to win 115-75. Embiid made a show of it before heading to the locker room, though.
It is yet to be seen what action the NBA takes against both Embiid and Towns, but it’s likely they’ll face some time on the sidelines and a financial hit.
The 76ers and the league are yet to reveal what punishment, if any, Simmons will receive for his involvement in the scuffle.
Given the fact he was fined US$20,0oo ($AU28,900) in May for “making contact to the groin” of Toronto Raptors’ guard Kyle Lowry, it stands to reason old mate might face some retribution.
And, if Simmons decides tackling people is more his speed, he could always come back home and just play footy.
