In the age of social media, the idea of pranking people in public and trolling them has gained incredible popularity. People are obsessed with trying to make videos where they make fun of someone or get a rise out of them, and celebrities are not exempt from this culture. Fans will often try to bait celebrities into reacting to them if they see them in public, taking videos while being intentionally provocative.
All NBA stars must be aware and prepared for moments like these, but some are easier targets than others. Ben Simmons is an excellent example of someone that fans feel is an acceptable target for ridicule. Simmons always has health with trolls, initially about his shooting woes. But since his falling out in Philly, which many people thought wasn’t right, he’s become even more of a target.
Ben Simmons Shared His Side Of The Story About The Fan That Tried To Troll Him In A Candy Store
Simmons was approached in a candy store while he was shopping in a mall by a fan making fun of his shooting by calling him Russell Westbrook. The video went viral at the time, and it was evident that Ben wasn’t comfortable with the situation. He was finally able to address it on his terms during his appearance on The Old Man And The Three podcast.
“Oh, man! That was so unnecessary too. Because I was just trying to get some f*****g candy man! Like, I was having a good day in the mall. Got some hair products from Sephora. And then went to get some candy. And this guy came out of f*****g nowhere.
It wasn’t something that Simmons could take too seriously either, he revealed that he couldn’t even tell initially that he was being recorded. He went on to talk about the allegations after that he had rented out the candy store for himself, which he denied.
“How do you rent out a candy store in a mall? What am I doing in a candy store? What the f**k man, it’s just crazy. He said that also because he got a bit of backlash… like it wasn’t funny in the moment. It wasn’t funny.”
People are allowed to have opinions on Ben Simmons and his general behavior, but it’s not right to approach him in public when he is merely minding his own business. Ultimately, Simmons can stop all the noise by performing well with the Nets this season, something he feels like he has the team to do this season.
