The Ben Simmons saga is probably one of the weirdest situations in NBA history.
Following his meltdown in the 2021 playoffs, Simmons demanded out of Philadelphia and came up with every excuse not to play for the franchise.
Even after his trade to Brooklyn in February, the guy has not played a single minute of action this season, not even to help his team prevent a 4-0 sweep in Round 1.
Now, reports have revealed that Simmons is scheduled for back surgery on Thursday, suggesting that there is something serious going on there.
As the NBA community reacted to the news, Paul Pierce took it upon himself to post what everybody was thinking about the situation.
I’m trying to figure out did I miss that game Ben Simmons hurt his back when did this all happen
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) May 4, 2022
No matter the details of Ben’s latest injury, his behavior over the past year has fans struggling to trust his dedication to the game.
On his podcast, Shaquille O’Neal wasn’t very sympathetic toward the young star.
“Your back can’t hurt if you’re doing all this. Is your back maybe sore? Yeah, everybody’s back sore! I ain’t play in 15 years, my back and my knees and my ankle are sore. … That’s why people don’t respect a guy like that.”
“This is why people are upset and don’t respect Ben. … I see a guy on his phone. I see a lovely lady on that computer. They work hard, probably would never see $2 million. They’re tired, their back hurt, you don’t hear them complaining. They’re not allowed to complain. So, why can’t a guy that makes $30 million because his back is sore, how come he can’t go to work? If your back is hurtin’, you can’t walk!”
At this point, the only way for Simmons to win over the fans is with. monster return to the court. If he comes back next season and plays like a true star for Brooklyn, it could be enough to re-gain some favor and improve his reputation.
Until then, he’s going to have trouble keeping down the haters and naysayers. Paul Pierce’s tweet on Thursday shows just how aggressive much of the NBA community is towards him right now.
