The entire Brooklyn Nets fan base finally knows what the Philadelphia 76ers fans felt for more than a year when Ben Simmons refused to even practice with them. As one of the most hyped talents in the NBA when he was drafted, Simmons has been nothing but a disappointment since last year’s decision to not play a single minute for his team. After a trade was secured, there was hope for the young star to finally get back to his optimal level of performance. But this never happened and Simmons just offered a new chapter of his refusal to represent his team. During Game 3 of the series, there were reports of Simmons allegedly making his comeback.
The Brooklyn Nets needed a player with his set of skills to possibly turn the series around but Ben decided to not play last-minute. According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, this decision came alleging that Simmons suffered from a mental block that triggered his back problems. If you ask legends such as Shaquille O’Neal, Reggie Miller or Charles Barkley, they will all tell you the same reason behind Ben Simmons’ decision. It simply comes down to not standing up for your teammates when they need you the most. Although there are some cases in which players do have a mental block, Simmons’ teammates are completely fed up with the player.
Steve Nash still voiced his support for Simmons.
After Monday’s elimination, Ben Simmons got support from coach Steve Nash: “I think Ben has addressed that there is a mental component with what he’s going through. But how much and where he’s at with that is not for me to speak about. But as far as an organization we’re really pushing to support Ben in any way we can and to help him improve physically and get back on the court and the mental side of that is part and parcel. That’s not, they’re not separate, they’re not something that we don’t want to deal with. We want to help if he needs help in any aspect of his life and his game. He’s a cornerstone so we want to help him feel great, play great and become a part of this team.”
Marca
