Strange radio caller in live car crash, keeps torching Ben Simmons

A talkback caller has left hosts speechless after he chose to continue his livid rant rather than deal with his car crashing live on air.

Ben Simmons. Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images.

A Philadelphia talkback radio caller felt that it was more important to complain about Australian NBA star Ben Simmons than to deal with the hit-and-run incident he was apparently a victim of during the call.

“James” in the northeast called into “Angelo Cataldi and the Morning Team” on local sports radio channel WIP94.1 Saturday morning (AEDT), and was asked how he was doing.

“Not bad, someone just hit my car,” he said. “And they’re driving off. It’s okay. They just swerved into my lane. It’s alright. I’m not worried about it.”

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The host was perplexed, The New York Post reports.

“You just got into a car accident, and you’re calling about Ben Simmons?!” he asked.

“Yeah, because he annoys me more than someone hitting my car and driving off,” James responded.

Ben Simmons picked the wrong city to disappoint. Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images/AFP.

The caller said that it makes him “sick” that “Ben Simmons is lying about mental illness.“

Simmons’ agent, Rich Paul, told The Athletic on Thursday that the string of “fines, targeting and negative publicity” from the 76ers has “furthered the mental health issues for Ben.”

Simmons has missed the entire season thus far, after an offseason in which his trade demands were rebuffed. There has been no timetable for his return.

Whether this car accident actually happened, explaining sports talk radio to a non-listener would end up with bizarre stares. In Philadelphia, it’s not something one would be astonished by.

Simmons has jokingly been referred to as the most hated man in Philadelphia in recent weeks since it became clear he would never play for the team again.

Simmons skipped the entire pre-season officially requested a trade in August, despite having four years and $200 million remaining on his contract.

According to reports, the 76ers have not been able to advance talks in any of the preliminary discussions with rival teams, despite reports identifying more than 10 teams have reported interest in exploring a trade for the 25-year-old.

At the heart of the unpleasant situation is suggestions from some within the team that Simmons is either faking his mental health condition — or the team is acting with absolute disrespect towards a player who needs help.

According to The Athletic, Simmons believes the 76ers’ recent actions are an attempt to force him to play, which has exacerbated his mental health issues.

— This story originally appeared on nypost.com and has been republished permission

Originally published as Strange radio caller in live car crash, keeps torching Ben Simmons