Ben Simmons Back Surgery & Mental Health
I'm Convinced Ben Simmons Will Never Be Out of The News
On May 4 2022, the Brooklyn Nets announced that Ben Simmons will be having back surgery and
more than likely will miss the beginning of next NBA season.
A lot of Ben Simmons slander has been going on over the past two years and majority of it seems to be negative, as deserved, but the mental health side of the Ben Simmons debate should be brought up as well.
Now I have not been a “nice guy” when it comes to the Ben Simmons discussion especially early on in the season. To start the season I slammed him for not playing and when he got traded I slammed him because I still do not think he is a great fit with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
With all that being said Ben Simmons mental health is a problem and this back surgery is gonna set it back even worse. Simmons mental health is clear because as an athlete one is supposed to be resilient and strong but it has been obvious with Ben that not only is he afraid to play but he is afraid to take free throws.
The thing that’s infuriating about the whole Ben Simmons situation is the way Simmons has been acting this whole time.
“For me it wasn't, that was never, the mental health has nothing to do with it. Just a trade” Simmons said after being traded.
Ben Simmons keeps down playing his mental health when everyone, including the organizations he plays for, knows how bad it is, so much so that the Philadelphia 76ers gave him therapists and doctors for his mental health yet Ben still acts as if Philadelphia never showed him any love.
The reality is that Philadelphia fans are known to be toxic but they are toxic to everyone except the players that earn their respect. Since Ben’s situation in the Hawks series Ben has done nothing to earn the respect of the 76er fan base even though the actual 76er franchise has done everything to give Simmons the tools to win games.
“I feel like our team has always been built around [Ben’s] needs.” Joel Embiid said in September and this still holds true now.
The 76ers have had a talent like Embiid who was known for his dominance in the paint yet Joel was put on the perimeter. This is such a dragged out discussion but when Ben Simmons acts like his situation is going to be so much better in Brooklyn, there just is no evidence to back this up.
