After news of Ben Simmons’ absence in Game 4 hit the Twitterverse, NBA legend Reggie Miller wasted no time calling him out.
Simmons, who hasn’t played in a year, was supposed to be ready to go for Monday’s match before he was suddenly ruled out a few hours ago.
Cmon MAN!!! Out for Game 4 when it was rumored you were going to make your debut. This dude has ZERO competitive fire. As small a chance as the Nets have to come back in this series, you still have KD and Kyrie, all you need is to win ONE game and take it from there.. #ManUp
Cmon MAN!!! Out for Game 4 when it was rumored you were going to make your debut. This dude has ZERO competitive 🔥.. As small a chance as the Nets have to come back in this series, you still have KD and Kyrie, all you need is to win ONE game and take it from there.. #ManUp pic.twitter.com/Y5smcnQkqZ
— Reggie Miller (@ReggieMillerTNT) April 24, 2022
The official excuse is back pain, which makes sense because the star recently suffered a herniated disk. Still, it’s not a good look for the 2x All-Defensive player.
After missing months of action for Philadelphia (while being completely healthy), he was traded to Brooklyn with hopes of suiting up before the end of the season.
Instead, more excuses dropped and Simmons continued to avoid stepping onto the court and has now ruled out a return even during his team’s most desperate hour.
Reggie wasn’t the only one to call him out for it, either.
“I feel bad for anybody who was his teammate,” said Stephen A. Smith. “He quit on LSU, he quit on the Philadelphia 76ers, and now he ain’t showing up for the Brooklyn Nets. We could point to all the excuses, all the rationale behind it that we want to. I do recall, despite him not playing, that he still filed a grievance to collect $20 million that he has not earned. This is on of the most pathetic situations that I’ve ever seen in my life. He ain’t going to war, he ain’t going in the Octagon, he’s not going in the boxing ring. It’s pulling teeth to get this man to play basketball. It’s pathetic, it’s sad and at the end of the day when the NBA gets to the collective bargaining table and they go after the players in terms of pay for play stipulation in the collective bargaining agreement, it’s going to be called ‘the Ben Simmons rule.’”
It all started when Simmons failed to perform in the 2021 playoffs. His mistakes are part of the reason why the 76ers lost that series.
But after being called out for his role in the upset, he cut all ties with the Sixers and hasn’t played since.
No doubt, this whole ordeal is having a huge impact on his legacy — and it’s not something that will be forgotten anytime soon.
