Ben Simmons got his way. He threatened to sit out the whole season claiming not to be mentally ready to play. In the end, the Philadelphia 76ers traded him away to perhaps the biggest candidate in the NBA.
Naturally, he still needs some time to get his legs back under him after refusing to play for such a long time. But once again, it looks like being on the court isn’t what’s on Simmons’ mind right now.
Simmons has looked careless, smiling despite the Nets’ recent struggles. That’s why Stephen A. Smith of ESPN went off against him for his attitude and how he could hurt how executives view players in the future.
NBA News: Stephen A. Smith Blasts Ben Simmons
“You’re in Brooklyn, you’re happy! You’re with guys that you want to be with, on a team that you’re happy to be with. And your brothers need you. You’re smiling, high-fiving, dressed in street clothes,” Smith said.
“What the hell are you doing? Not to mention the fact: what damage are you doing to your contemporaries? Because the owners are gonna remember this. The owners gonna be like ‘this is what we paying for?’ So they have to pay for his travel, they got to pay for his hotel room” Smith added. “You know he ain’t paying for his own meals, they giving him some meals, too. You’re giving him a check to sit on the bench and smile when you’re 100% healthy and ready to go? You got to be kidding me, man.”
“We have to stop glossing over this. This isn’t Ben Simmons in Philadelphia anymore. He’s in Brooklyn. Smiling more than me and you,” the controversial pundit concluded.
This isn’t exactly a surprise. Simmons is as talented as they come but he’s not the most mature player in the league. He has a huge target on his back right now, so he better deliver when he gets back on the court.