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SPORTS Tuesday 16 July 2019
AP source: Simmons, 76ers

agree to $170M, 5-year deal

By DAN GELSTON bias Harris through 2024 ence semifinals for the sec-
AP Sports Writer and now Simmons through ond straight season.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The 2025. Horford got a $109 Philadelphia is 101-58 in
Philadelphia 76ers and star million, four-year deal and regular-season games
guard Ben Simmons have Embiid agreed last season when Simmons plays. He
agreed to a $170 million, to a $147 million, five-year has had 22 triple-doubles
five-year contract exten- deal. in the last two seasons, tied
sion, a person familiar with Sixers general manager El- for third most in the league
the situation told The Asso- ton Brand had until the mid- with Denver's Nikola Jokic
ciated Press. The max deal dle of October to reach a and trailing Oklahoma
is the latest big commit- max deal with Simmons but City's Russell Westbrook (59)
ment by a team expected wasted little time in lock- and the Los Angeles Lakers'
to make a serious push at ing up another cornerstone LeBron James (26).
its first NBA championship player. Simmons was the Simmons also has had 80
since 1983. No. 1 overall draft pick in double-doubles over the
Simmons, 22, will make the 2016. He made his NBA last two seasons.
about $8.1 million this sea- debut in the 2017-18 sea- But he missed all 11 3-point In this Jan. 13, 2019, file photo, Philadelphia 76ers' Ben Simmons
reacts after dunking during the first half of an NBA basketball
son, the last of his four-year son and was Rookie of the attempts his rookie season game against the New York Knicks in New York.
rookie deal. His salary for Year. He was an All-Star for and was 0 for 6 last season, Associated Press
the next season will jump to the first time last season. He a combination of an awk-
about $29.3 million and rise has averaged 16.4 points, ward shooting form and a job. I don't think it's any figure out why I was guard-
to nearly $39 million in 2024- 8.5 rebounds and 7.9 assists hesitancy to keep shooting certain shot. But when you ing him at the 3-point line,
25, according to the per- in his two seasons. shots he can't make. De- give me the ball, I'm able to but it was really because
son who spoke to the AP "I think I want to work on fenses sagged on Simmons make plays." he hit two of them," Har-
on condition of anonymity everything and continue daring him to shoot be- Harris, who re-signed with ris said. "When I dared him
Monday because the con- to let my game grow," Sim- cause the speedy All-Star the Sixers this summer on a to shoot two of them, he
tract is not official. mons said at the end of can't do much outside the $180 million, five-year con- hit two in a row. That's why
The deal solidifies the 76ers' the season. "I think the one paint. tract, recently worked out I was there. He's made
core for the next few sea- thing I got a lot better at "I don't think it's taking shots with Simmons in Los Ange- big improvements on his
sons. All-Star Joel Embiid this season was leadership." just to take them," Simmons les and found him dedicat- game. His jump shot is look-
and Al Horford are under The Sixers were knocked said. "I think it's just being ed to improving his shot. ing really good and he has
contract though 2023, To- out of the Eastern Confer- aggressive and doing my "Everybody was trying to the confidence to shoot."q

Continued from Page 17 After Kurt got to the check- essentially repeated the
The win came a week after ered flag first, he dove same answer verbatim to
a horrible pit call in Dayto- into the arms of his wait- every question asked: "The
na cost Busch and the No. ing crew, celebrated on car was loose and we didn't
1 team a victory. Busch had the frontstretch, then did get a good time. I did one
slid through a massive acci- an old-school trip to vic- lap and I'm in here talking
dent unscathed to take the tory lane with his crew rid- for 30th. Car was loose, we
lead, and as NASCAR said ing along on his Chevrolet. didn't get a good time, I
the race was one lap away One team member proudly don't know what I can help
from resuming, crew chief waved the checkered flag you guys with."
Matt McCall called Busch for the journey. After this weekend's win,
in for a quick pit stop. The victory was the 31st ca- Busch insisted he has made
A lightning strike seconds reer Cup win for Busch, the gains in all those personal
later halted all action and 2004 NASCAR champion, areas that have left black
the race was eventually and extended his streak of Kurt Busch crosses the finish line ahead of Kyle Busch (18) to marks on his resume. He
called, costing Busch, Mc- winning at least one race a win the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Kentucky Speedway in credited his wife, Ashley, a
Call and Ganassi the vic- year to six consecutive sea- Sparta, Ky., Saturday, July 13, 2019. professional polo player, for
tory. sons. Busch has just three Associated Press helping him see the bigger
So how sweet it was Sat- winless years in 19 full Cup picture and settle down just
urday night when McCall seasons — his rookie year, equipment set the frame- Kentucky victory was the a bit.
used a late call to change and then in 2012 and 2013 work for Martin Truex Jr.'s third consecutive for a re- "The power of positivity is
four tires, putting Busch in when he was trying to sal- 2017 championship. surgent Chevrolet effort. something she's taught me
position to challenge for vage his career after he Busch spent five years at Busch has won with nine over these few years," he
the Kentucky victory when was fired by Roger Penske Stewart-Haas Racing, over- different crew chiefs in his said. "You come in and you
the race took a sudden for too many public blow- shadowed by Kevin Harvick Cup career, proving that in talk a game and you de-
turn and headed to over- ups. the entire time, and when a his case he can get it done liver it, and you do it with
time. Busch charged hard But he landed at Furniture new contract didn't materi- if the car has speed. execution through team
toward the front, eventually Row Racing in 2013 and alize he moved to Ganassi Busch still has his cranky meetings, showing up ear-
got alongside Kyle and nei- was the conduit in building and a struggling Chevrolet side, and he was difficult ly, staying late, and moti-
ther refused to budge. Their a backmarker team into a group. But if the car isn't through the first third of vating guys to do a better
cars touched, wiggled, Kurt championship contender. competitive, no one both- the season with media be- job. And the way that I've
appeared to bang the wall, Busch's time with the Colo- ered to tell Busch, who cause he didn't like NAS- won races in the past, I try
both seemed to hanging rado-based team was just has been among the top CAR's policy that forced to go after the weakness of
onto the steering wheel as one season, but his knowl- Chevy drivers all year. him to meet with report- a team and try to fix that
if they were racing for the edge of race cars and how He has 11 top-10 finishes ers after qualifying. At Bris- first and then start to make
NASCAR championship. to get the most out of his through 19 races, and his tol early in the season, he things better as we go."q