[Article](https://www.smh.com.au/sport/from-our-greatest-basketball-export-to-us-sporting-pariah-can-simmons-bounce-back-20220726-p5b4mm.html)
The interview took place during September’s New York Fashion Week. It’s a long read so here are some snippets:
>“I had a terrible year,” Simmons says, flatly, “so I know how to handle my emotions and what I need to be doing to get on track. If I’m worried or sad or frustrated or angry, I feel like I’m better able to deal with that now. It took time, but I’m at peace with who I am and what’s going on around me. I know what my priorities are, and what I need to do every day. Besides that, I just want to be me.”
**___**
> By the start of the 2020-21 season, Philly fans were split – half resented him and half defended him. Rumours of a trade emerged. “I was already going to therapy,” Simmons says. “I got into a really dark place in my life. ‘Why do I feel like this? What’s happening to me?’ It was a build-up of everything – all that pressure, and multiple things going on with my family. I’m not sure if you’re aware of that?”
>That’s a reference to his sister Olivia, with whom he was close growing up, and who in early 2021 accused their half-brother Sean Tribe of molesting her as a child. Her tweets on the subject were denied by the family and later found to be defamatory. “I was the target, so I felt a responsibility to keep everything together,” says 36-year-old Tribe, Simmons’s manager since his days in Louisiana until last year. “But that affects me, therefore it affects Ben, because we’re family and I’m working with him every day.”
**___**
>Matters came to a head in a June 2021 final against the Atlanta Hawks, when Simmons, who was underperforming at the time, had an opportunity to dunk the ball – or be fouled – but instead passed. His critics howled that his shooting deficiency had made him a liability, frightened of taking free throws. He was branded a coward over a split-second decision. “If I could go back I would go up strong, go to the line,” Simmons says. “But there was so much emphasis on that moment. I made a bad play, but loads of guys made bad plays. I’m not the reason we didn’t win.”
>If that was the beginning, the end came into focus when 76ers coach Doc Rivers was asked: “Can Ben Simmons be the point guard of a championship team?” and answered, “I don’t know the answer to that right now.” Or maybe it was when star teammate Joel Embiid appeared to blame the player for the loss. Simmons requested a trade, the 76ers refused, and a standoff began in which he refused to front up to training camp or media day that September.
>“I definitely didn’t handle it the right way after the season, but there’s two sides,” he says. “Your teammates are supposed to have your back. Your coaches are supposed to have your back. And I didn’t have that at all.”
**___**
>He gathered strength slowly, until he was close to playing in a crucial final against the Boston Celtics in April. “I was supposed to play,” he confirms. “And the day before the game we’re playing 5 on 5 and 4 on 4, and I’m like, ‘Let me play one more game,’ because it just wasn’t right. I wasn’t moving the way I move. I felt something in my back, it locked up quickly. I woke up the next day – which is what tells you how you really feel – and I couldn’t move. There was no way.”
**___**
>During a recent open-air practice, the Nets squad had a shooting competition – and Simmons won. He beat the entire team. Yet that same session, he also tossed a casual shot at the ring and missed everything. An airball. Guess which moment went viral?
>Such scrutiny makes it hard not to ask what will happen this season if those early buckets don’t fall – if he throws more bricks than swishes. Or doesn’t shoot at all. “We’re looked at as superheroes, which is fine, but there comes a point where …” His voice trails off. “Not everybody deals with the same pressures, and not everyone deals with pressure in the same way. People are going to go through things in life, whether they say something out loud or not. I guess I don’t mind saying out loud: ‘I’ve been through things.’ ”
**___**
>The clothes most important to him are the ones he gives away. Simmons’ eldest sister, Melissa, runs his community and social-impact work (Ben Simmons Family Foundation), which includes everything from youth leadership programs to partnerships with organisations like Operation Warm (giving winter coats to kids who need them). Last year, he was forced to continue the latter anonymously. “We were a little bit worried that people in Philly might not wear the coat if they knew it was from Ben Simmons,” Melissa admits, noting that a few kids even dropped technology scholarships because his name was attached. “That was heart-wrenching.”
**___**
>A final critique of Simmons, of course, is that he hasn’t suited up for the Boomers since joining the NBA. The 2016 Rio Olympics fell during his rookie season, and while he wanted to play in Tokyo 2020, that was the moment his life entered freefall. “I was in the middle of the shit,” he says. “Of course I wanted to go out there and play with Dante Exum and Joe Ingles and Patty Mills – those are my guys. But there’s only so much to say: I was in a bad place, and I didn’t play. Do I want to play for Australia? One hundred per cent. Will I one day? One hundred per cent. I’m going to the Olympics. It’s not a question – it’s a dream of mine. But I’m also not going to let people tell me when and how I do things.” Paris 2024? He’s there.
by FultzShoulder
45 Comments
I got great news for Ben then.
“I know I’m not gonna go out there and suck”
😶
>I know I’m not gonna go out there and suck
*Becomes Riley Reid of basketball*
But you do go out there and suck. So use the hate to motivate you and take shots without fear. Instead you play into by not taking shots or being so shook of the foul line you pass up anything near the hoop.
it’s funny because he play bad
Yeah I truly feel for Simmons and his personal issues, will give him credit for opening up on them. But speaking as someone who’s gone through similar or worse personal shit and didn’t have the luxury of not going to work, I have no sympathy for his lack of professionalism either.
He does suck
“I can’t suck if I know where I come from”
>I’m not gonna go out there and suck
Ron Howard narrator voiceover: “Actually, he did”
He’s probably the worst net that gets rotation minutes. Yuta, Duke, morris, and sumner all look better than him and they’re all on vet min or 2way deals.
> Simmons’ eldest sister, Melissa, runs his community and social-impact work (Ben Simmons Family Foundation), which includes everything from youth leadership programs to partnerships with organisations like Operation Warm (giving winter coats to kids who need them). Last year, he was forced to continue the latter anonymously. “We were a little bit worried that people in Philly might not wear the coat if they knew it was from Ben Simmons,” Melissa admits, noting that a few kids even dropped technology scholarships because his name was attached. “That was heart-wrenching.”
It’s a cold world.
People don’t want to see you down we want to see you SHOOT THE BALL.
Ben really thinks all the criticism of the Hawks series is because of that missed dunk opportunity lol. That was like the 50th time that series where his fear of the ball destroyed our offense. I wish him well and all but he’s oblivious.
This aged Diabolically.
>“If I could go back I would go up strong, go to the line,” Simmons says. “But there was so much emphasis on that moment. I made a bad play, but loads of guys made bad plays. **I’m not the reason we didn’t win.”**
This guy. But I do agree with him a little, I thought Thybulle’s foul on Huerter’s 3 was the losing play in that game. But Ben Simmons was the main reason they lost that series.
Give him credit, though. Most people move more quickly after stealing millions of dollars, but not Ben.
Ben has Dissociative Identity Disorder confirmed. This must be Young Socialite talking, not Ben, the triple single basketball player.
> Do I want to play for Australia? One hundred per cent. Will I one day? One hundred per cent. I’m going to the Olympics. It’s not a question – it’s a dream of mine. But I’m also not going to let people tell me when and how I do things.
well unfortunately you’ll have to let people tell you when the olympics are if you want to participate
“because in my head I’m playing with house money”
This is really the worst quote for me. Dude feels like he already won and doesn’t care about losing anymore. That’s the mindset of an old veteran just clocking in to get his bag and go home regardless of the game result.
Bruh talking shit whilest he was mentally not stable enough to keep playing in Philly after 2 guys critizise him the first time ever publicly after Ben throwing the playoffs on his own.
He is wasting our time and I can’t wait for the media to drop him and take another guy for all the problems they see
He’s got all the money, worst contract in history of basketball. Of course he don’t care
Man practiced this in a mirror for sure
> Melissa admits, noting that a few kids even dropped technology
scholarships because his name was attached. “That was heart-wrenching.”
Ugh what ungrateful souls.
Been saying this guy is trash for so long
Terrible attitude, openly and proudly doesnt work on his game.
Yannis couldnt shoot, he worked tireless to get better
Ben doesnt work hard at all. Doesnt improve anything in his game. Dudes a grade A loser
Ben is entertaining the Kyrie alternate reality where he’s the best lol
>That’s a reference to his sister Olivia, with whom he was close growing up, and who in early 2021 accused their half-brother Sean Tribe of molesting her as a child. Her tweets on the subject were denied by the family and later found to be defamatory. “I was the target, so I felt a responsibility to keep everything together,” says 36-year-old Tribe, Simmons’s manager since his days in Louisiana until last year. “But that affects me, therefore it affects Ben, because we’re family and I’m working with him every day.”
This is why I’ve always had a hard time criticizing Ben too much, because this is where his mentality problems really started, and I can’t imagine any other NBA player easily being able to focus on the game with something like this going on in the background. Obviously it reached a point where it was untenable for Ben and Philly to coexist, but I still think it may have been salvageable if Ben didn’t have all this added pressure from his home life.
Tough timing on this one to come out lol
I feel like the molestation accusations and back injury have clearly messed with his head. His teammates and the fans literally wishing him nothing but the worst doesn’t help. At this point I hope he gets better and don’t really understand those actively hating on him. (Seems like a severe lack of empathy to me).I guarantee most people here aren’t as driven or successful in their personal or professional lives as they want to be.
“I know who I am. – Kyrie Irving” – Ben Simmons
Not only has he gone out there and sucked but he’s taken it a step further and sucked every single game.
Kelvin Benjamin: “I love when people are talking shit, wanting to see me down, because in my head I’m eating with house food. I know I’m not gonna go out there and leave leftovers. I know that’s not going to happen. I would have to be a different person.”
Dear Ben: You almost have as many points as fouls.
Is he delusional??????????????
I saw gobert shot a 3. It was ugly. He still shot it.
The nets had a shooting competition and he won.
Team camaraderie to increase his confidence if this is real
They don’t want to see you down, they want to see you play and actually try. And when you don’t, that’s when they talk
Ben Simmons isn’t doing himself any favors by being afraid to shoot, but the Nets may be the worst organization to rehab your value on
This man’s confidence in the face of so much professional failure is a testament to the power of money to bring happiness.
THEN FUCKING DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
Bro’s talking like he haven’t seen his collapse with our own two eyes LOOOOOOL
fucking puff piece if I ever saw one.
Do we have to keep talking about Ben Simmons?
This is all pathetic ass shit from the biggest pussy to ever play in nba lmao
Reporter: What about when it comes to shooting?
Ben Simmons: …….😕
“If I could go back I would go up strong, go to the line,” Simmons says.
Press x to doubt.