It’s been a bouncy year for three-time NBA All-Star Ben Simmons, both on the court, where lately he’s become almost as known for not playing as for playing, and in the real estate arena.
Last summer he dropped $17.5 million on a “modern farmhouse” in LA’s ritzy Hidden Hills suburb, where several family members of his former girlfriend Kendall Jenner famously own big spreads. And last fall, he hoisted his deluxe condo at the Ritz Carlton Residences in downtown Philadelphia on the market at $3.1 million; the asking price has since dipped to a tad under $3 million.
More from Sportico.com
Simmons also put another of his homes on the market last fall, this one in Moorestown, NJ, a 40 minute drive from where his former team, the Philadelphia 76ers, play. The asking price was $5 million. Six months later, records show the lavishly customized 10,500-square-foot mansion has been sold for $4.55 million, Dirt reports. The listing was handled by Juliet Cordeiro at Compass; the buyer, Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos, was represented in the deal by Kimberly Brownlie at RE/MAX First Realty.
The 25-year-old 6’11” power forward, who signed on as a teenager with the 76ers as the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, sat out his first season due to injury, but was named NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2017-18 season. Several screamingly successful seasons followed, and in 2019 he signed a five-year contract extension worth a staggering $170 million.
Alas, a disappointing 2020-21 playoff season, in which he struggled to get the ball in the basket both from the court and the free-throw line, led to a lackluster start to the 2021-22 season. His inability to get his game on track, and the attendant scrutiny from fans, coaches, and the media, only festered more frustration and increasing tensions. Simmons was tossed out of practice several times, suspended for one game, and became the most fined player in NBA history for the many games he skipped. Then, sometime late last summer, I requested a trade from the 76ers, a rare demand from a top player.
Simmons got his wish earlier this year when he was traded in a blockbuster deal to the Brooklyn Nets that included Andre Drummond and Seth Curry. He was, however, almost immediately sidelined for the entire season with a herniated disk. Last week he underwent back surgery and isn’t expected back on the court until the start of next season’s training camp.
Click here to read the full article.