Sixers' Ben Simmons Claps Back at Announcer That Called Him Overrated

Philadelphia 76ers All-Star guard Ben Simmons didn't play this past Friday night, but he still made headlines. As the 24-year-old remained at home in the NBA's health and safety protocol due to contact tracing, Simmons had to watch the game on TV like everybody else.

It's unclear which broadcast Simmons tuned into, but regardless, it wouldn't have taken long before the veteran guard heard the controversial take from an NBC Sports Washington commentator as the clip went viral late Friday night and early Saturday morning after the Sixers defeated the Wizards.

“I’ve said it before, and I know I’ll take the flak for it,” said veteran sportscaster Justin Kutcher. “I think Ben Simmons is one of if not the most overrated player in the NBA. He’s got so much love and attention that people aren’t paying attention to what Tobias Harris is doing on the floor.”

As you would expect, Sixers fans came to Simmons' defense. Sure, Simmons has room for improvement and isn't a perfect player by any means, but the word overrated surely triggered fans. And the following day, after making his initial comment, Kutcher took to social media to not only clarify what he meant exactly, but he actually doubled down on his take.

Yep, I said that Ben Simmons is one of the most overrated plyrs in the NBA, and I stand by it. I didn’t say he was BAD, just not as good as everyone makes him out to be. GREAT defender, potential DPOY, but I think he’s made All League/All Star Teams based on hype. And..goodnight
— Justin Kutcher (@JustinKutcher) March 13, 2021

Again, Kutcher's tweet made its rounds on Twitter and created more outrage, which led to every Philly fan's favorite moment this weekend. . . Ben Simmons' clap-back. Roughly around 8 PM on Saturday, Simmons posted a picture of a man sitting in a chair with sunglasses and a robe on with his legs crossed. Captioned above the picture, Simmons wrote: "Another Casual."

From Ben Simmons Insta story. He hears the critics #Sixers pic.twitter.com/q8WWMayX7r
— Justin Grasso (@JGrasso_) March 14, 2021

Yes, that happens to be Simmons' biggest critic as of late, Justin Kutcher. Although Simmons often claims he doesn't pay attention to the outside noise and isn't aware of what's being said on social media or in the media in general, he clearly got wind of Kutcher's comments, which riled a lot of people up on Saturday.

Now, Simmons can really get the last laugh on Sunday with his return game against the San Antonio Spurs at home.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_ & Instagram: @JGrassoNBA.