Trae Young finally speaks on Ben Simmons passing up the dunk in Game 7
Trae Young was on the latest episode of The Old Man and the Three Podcast with JJ Redick and touched on the now infamous passed up dunk by Ben Simmons in Game 7 of the playoffs last year.
Honestly, I hate even talking about this play or Ben Simmons anymore but we do finally have Young giving his opinion on the play. The play itself is a lasting image to the end of an era with Ben Simmons in Philadelphia and a defining moment of his career that will forever be burned into my nightmares.
If I have to watch the passed up dunk again, then you do too. Sorry in advance.
Trae Young on Ben Simmons Passing Up The Dunk
Young: I didn’t realize it at the moment what it was, but I mean, I looked at my phone and everybody’s killing him.
Redick: I always wanted to ask you, what were you going to do? Had he gone up to dunk or shoot a layup? Even if you just go up to shoot a layup and use his size, what was your plan in that moment?
Young: It depends. If he were to turn, turn and face the basket and kept it high, there’s no reason to foul and get hm an And-1, but if he did, what he was doing which was took a low dribble, I think he spun and took a low dribble, I would have fouled him and not let him get the shot off or tried to hit the ball or just try to hit it hit his arm and send him to the free-throw line. I think he kind of knew that I was going to come over and foul him and that’s why he passed it up.
Video: Trae Young on Ben Simmons Passing Up Dunk
Young continues to say that Simmons does a lot of amazing things on the floor and one play shouldn’t define who he is as a player. Redick then added that he didn’t believe that 76ers fans appreciated the things that Ben Simmons did do well on the court which, as we all know, is just a ridiculous statement.
Young: In those moments, and you spin, it’s a quick quick moment. He may not have know that it was me.
Redick: He sees a Hawks jersey and he’s like “let me get off”.
Young: He sees a blue jersey right behind me that he can just drop off and maybe get a layup so, I mean, it’s a bang-bang play and it sucks for him. I understand that’s a tough play. He’s a good player. Like I hate how people talk about how bad of a player he is. That’s what I’m saying about recency bias. I think he’s a really good player, but I think one moment can get people turning.
Ben Simmons hasn’t played in a professional basketball game since Game 7. It’s really hard to make the case that a single play doesn’t define who he is as a player and person when literally that play broke him and he has been unable to step on the court ever since he passed up the dunk.
If Simmons didn’t want that to define him as a basketball player, he would have dusted himself off, took the well-deserved criticism and actually played basketball again.
Of course, we all know that didn’t happen.
