Stephen A. Smith sounds off on 'pathetic, quitter' Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons was right on track to make his long-awaited season debut in Game 4 vs. the Boston Celtics. But now that the Brooklyn Nets are on the verge of elimination, his back soreness magically reappeared.

Even despite being against the ropes, the Nets still hoped to have Simmons on the court for limited minutes in Game 4. But after 10 days of pain-free activities, he reported that he suffered a setback shortly after Game 3. Go figure, who would’ve guessed?

Simmons has now quit on every single team he’s played, including the Australian national team. That’s why Stephen A. Smith of ESPN went off against him and urged the NBA to address this ‘pathetic’ situation when they discuss the next CBA.

Stephen A. Smith Rips Ben Simmons, Calls Him A Quitter

“I feel bad for anybody who was his teammate,” Smith said.“He quit on LSU, he quit on the Philadelphia 76ers, and now he ain’t showing up for the Brooklyn Nets. We could point to all the excuses, all the rationale behind it that we want to.”

“I do recall, despite him not playing, that he still filed a grievance to collect $20 million that he has not earned,” Smith added.“This is one of the most pathetic situations that I’ve ever seen in my life. He ain’t going to war, he ain’t going in the Octagon, he’s not going in the boxing ring. It’s pulling teeth to get this man to play basketball. It’s pathetic, it’s sad and at the end of the day when the NBA gets to the collective bargaining table and they go after the players in terms of pay for play stipulation in the collective bargaining agreement, it’s going to be called ‘the Ben Simmons rule.’”

Simmons’ attitude has done nothing but hurt players and take away their leverage in the next CBA deal. Moreover, it seems like even his colleagues have been disappointed by his lack of interest and competitiveness.

Reggie Miller Blasts Simmons On Twitter

NBA legend Reggie Miller didn’t shy away and took to Twitter to share his thoughts on Simmons. He called him out for his lack of competitiveness and went as far as to tell him to man up:

“Cmon MAN!!! Out for Game 4 when it was rumored you were going to make your debut. This dude has ZERO competitive fire.. As small a chance as the Nets have to come back in this series, you still have KD and Kyrie, all you need is to win ONE game and take it from there.. #ManUp,” Miller tweeted.

Simmons is one of the best defenders and playmakers in the league and that goes without saying. But one can only wonder how many players will still want to team up with him after what he’s shown throughout his career.