Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons have yet to reach a mutual agreement /  by Hussein Abdullahi

Sixers Ben Simmons is at the point of no return with 76ers

Since Philadelphia's second-round playoff exit in June, Ben Simmons's future with the organization hasn't seemed promising. Within days after being eliminated vs the Atlanta Hawks, rumors circulated headlines stating the Simmons won't return to the 76ers. With the start of the 2021-2022 NBA season just 22 days away, Simmons and the 76ers have yet to reach a mutual agreement. Coach Doc Rivers is still hopeful that Simmons will return to Philadelphia for the start of the season. During the off-season, Philadelphia's front office and Simmons' representation agreed to explore a potential trade. Sources said Sixers spoke with multiple teams and made legitimate offers. According to ESPN sources told Adrian Worjanowski that Simmons will not report to training camp and will not play another game in a Sixers uniform.

Photo Courtesy of (Matt Slocum/AP)

Photo Courtesy of (Matt Slocum/AP)

What Does It Cost For Simmons?

Simmons has four years remaining on his existing contract worth $146 million. Ultimately, if Simmons continues to hold out, he can not only diminish his stock value for a potential trade but can face several financial implications. According to the collective bargaining agreement, a player who fails to render services would be suspended and could be fined a portion of their salary each day he doesn't show up. Simmons could lose up to $227,613 for each practice and game missed. If the Sixers suspend Simmons, it can backfire on the organization if they still wish to trade Simmons, whose trade value would be diminished. It will interesting to see what approach the Sixers will take moving forward. As for Simmons, the 25-year-old three-time all-star has a decision to make to resurrect his career.

Photo Courtesy of (Matt Slocum/AP)

Photo Courtesy of (Matt Slocum/AP)

Future For The Sixers

Does the future of Sixers look promising? or will the departure of their three-time all-star diminish their chances of rising out of the Eastern Conference? The reality is with or without Simmons, the Sixers will still be a top contender in the Eastern Conference. The top-seeded Sixers had a surprising second-round exit to the Atlanta Hawks in the post-season. Many have made the case that Simmons' lack of assertiveness and poor free-throw shooting was detrimental to the Sixers' success in the post-season. Going forward, the organization will remain hopeful that Simmons will return at some point during the season.

Photo Courtesy of (Chris Szagola/Associated Press)

Photo Courtesy of (Chris Szagola/Associated Press)

Featuring: 76ers, Ben Simmons

Published by: TGQ Inc.

Culture Conversation Wraps up Season 3 | From Start-Up to Premium Show /  by Hussein Abdullahi

Culture Conversation wraps up another successful season

Podcasts have become a powerful tool for millions of content creators globally. From transforming the digital landscape amid the global pandemic, podcasters have leveraged the power of media to deliver a tangible product. The passion for creating content has yielded a profit for most. Our team at TGQ Inc. has been responsible for the executive production of the podcast Culture Conversation.

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In July, Culture Conversation concluded their third season with a season finale episode featuring the HoopQueen Keesa K. Season Three featured an array of industry leaders, sport business professionals, and community activists. The long list includes Ontario’s first Poet Laureate Randell Adjei, Toronto’s Sports Journalist Duane Watson, Young Entrepreneur of the year Nevell Provo + more. We will highlight some memorable moments from Season Three below.

Heart Of The City

In March, Sports Journalist Duane Watson joined our platform to share his unique story. Duane Watson is responsible for creating several media projects in conjunction with NBATV Canada and TSN. Duane has cultivated a space for Black Journalists across Toronto's landscape to tell stories imperative to our culture.

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There wasn’t a space for us to like see us! To kind of have that platform where people are speaking like how we talk about ball or whatever I think that stuff is really important. Giving our people stuff to aspire to. - Duane Watson

In this episode, Duane reflects on his early career working in the music business for Sony during the golden era of Hip-Hip. After having much success in the music business, Duane sacrificed a six-figure salary to jump-start his freelance career in Journalism. By utilizing his journalistic principles of storytelling and his marketing mindset, Duane brought life to The HoopClub, NBAXL and the iconic Nike Crown League.

HoopQueens TO

On the season finale, Keesa K. of the HoopQueens joined the platform to share her story. Keesa K. has created a women-led community organization to advocate for equality in sports, provide access to resources for women in sports, and overcome the gender disparity gap. We have begun to see a slight shift in sports. Women are getting recognition for being powerful athletes.

We go through so much as women, you know we have kids, we have our familys, we have things to take care of as a women of the household. I feel like men have a lot of opportunties for you know money to come in, but for girls its not the same. - Keesa K.

Female athletes such as Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams, and Sabrina Ionescu have all exercised activism against gender discrimination in sports. Keesa K. spoke on the importance of educating the masses on women in sport, normalizing a co-ed sports environment. Keesa K. spoke on the importance of uplifting women across the globe to be multi-faceted. HoopQueens is committed to changing the narrative for millions of women athletes nationwide.

His Story

Earlier this year, Randel Adjei was named the first Poet Laureate of Ontario. Randell joined our platform to share his embarking journey. The social entrepreneur has overcome several obstacles as a youth in a low-income community. Randell turned to poetry and sports as a way to express himself. His upward trajectory came at a time when he went through a life-changing experience. It was at that moment when he redefined his purpose. Randell created an art organization, R.I.S.E (reaching intelligent souls everywhere). RISE has produced several community-based initiatives for upcoming artists across Toronto’s GTA. Randell spoke on the importance of redefining your purpose, creating a lasting legacy within the community. He ended this segment off with an acapella spoken word!

Podcast: Culture Conversation

Written by: Hussein Abdullahi

Published by: TGQ Inc.