Knowing that he’s been pretty much swarmed by public scrutiny ever since, Ben Simmons is shrugging off any other additional criticisms being thrown against him.
A viral video, wherein he shot an airball during the Nets’ annual outdoor practice at Brooklyn Bridge Park, is something not that new to him with regards to his approach.
“It finds me all the time,” Simmons told ESPN’s Nick Friedell. “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.”
After a controversial 2021 postseason run wherein they fell in the hands of the Atlanta Hawks, Simmons endured a sour relationship with the Philadelphia 76ers and its supporters. Citing mental health, the Australian cager found himself in hot water while sitting down for the team’s 2021-22 season matches.
Simmons still drew that negative aura upon his landing in Brooklyn. For him, things aren’t that new.
“Because people know what I can do, what I’m capable of,” Simmons said about his perspective of getting heckled by fans frequently. “I believe that’s what it is. Like if I was somebody that wasn’t capable of doing certain things, I don’t think people would be on my ass as much. And I don’t mind it because it kind of motivates me in a way. Obviously, sometimes it’s a lot for anybody to deal with that, but I look at it a little bit like a respect thing, in a way.
“Because if that wasn’t the case then I wouldn’t have … there would be no upside to me doing something well. If I come out and play a great game then you can’t say anything, you know? But it’s a part of it. That’s why it’s kind of cool being on a team with these two guys (Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving) because they’ve been through different things in their careers, where they can kind of relate, because their names always — something’s going on with everybody’s name here. I take it for what it is.”
As he returns to the floor after missing basketball for the longest time, Simmons can only tip off his hat to his new teammates for the encouragement he’s receiving.
“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.”
