Getty Ben Simmons #10 of the Brooklyn Nets looks on during player introductions before a preseason game against the Philadelphia 76ers
Ben Simmons looks like he is fully back for the Brooklyn Nets. The star made his first return to NBA action in over 470 days this preseason, and it was also his first appearance as a Net after Brooklyn traded for him at last season’s February trade deadline, and the Australian point guard battled injury for the remainder of the season. Beyond injury, the All-Star also battled a mental block that kept him out of playing in Brooklyn’s first round playoff series, despite the anticipation he would be back. The news made Simmons again subject to criticism.
Simmons, despite his All-Star play, is one of the most criticized players in the NBA. His shooting has always been a meme since he was in college at Louisiana State University, and it has only followed to the NBA. There is an added weight to Ben Simmons shooting videos, and this was evident this week when he went viral for an airball shot. If you have played basketball or watched enough pre-game warm-ups, you probably know that just about any player will at one time be subject to a shot that doesn’t hit the backboard or rim, but when you or I airball, it doesn’t end up going viral on social media. For Ben Simmons, it will. Even if Simmons doesn’t airball, the clip could still go viral for ‘bricking’ off the rim or backboard.
Ben Simmons Sends Strong Message on Airballed Shot
Ben Simmons sees the treatment he gets on social media and has been more honest with his feelings in recent interviews. On Wednesday, he talked to Nick Friedell of ESPN about the viral shot and unfair reactions to it.
“It finds me all the time,” Simmons told ESPN prior to Wednesday’s preseason game against the Milwaukee Bucks. “And it doesn’t f—ing stop. Sometimes I’m even sick of it, but then I’m like, ‘OK, I’m Ben Simmons, you know? It comes with being Ben Simmons right now.’
“Even the other day there was a clip of me airballing a shot at the park. Meanwhile, like 10 guys airballed multiple shots. So it’s like people will find one clip and try to make it that everything — like Ben can’t do [this or that]. Like come on man, you think I’m just airballing every shot? It’s not true. But it comes with it, and you got to have tough skin and I realize that, but nah, I can’t take everything personally. It’s social media.”
Kyrie Irving Has Helped Simmons Handle Internet Criticism
The flack that Simmons gets on social media has created a bond between him and Nets superstar point guard Kyrie Irving, who also has been subject to internet criticism. Whether it be flat earth or the COVID-19 vaccine, Irving has always been in the news in some way as well. Simmons told Friedell that Irving had been a sounding board with the Internet drama.
“Me and Ky literally were just talking about it before practice,” Simmons said. “He’s like ‘Why is everybody on our heads?’ But it comes with it. F—, we’re interesting people I guess. Some guys you wouldn’t talk about because you just don’t care.”
Irving isn’t the only Nets player that Simmons has found a bond with, he continued by sharing how his Nets teammates have made him feel at home in his return.
“Definitely,” Simmons said. “I got support from all these guys, the coaching staff, the organization, so it’s up to me to go out there to do my job now and work. But you know, Kev, Ky have been great to me. Royce [O’Neale] has been phenomenal. It feels like home. It feels normal to be here and come to work. Besides that, we just need to put that work in and build some chemistry.”