Shaquille O’Neal didn’t mince words when discussing Ben Simmons, the Brooklyn Nets guard who is sidelined for the remainder of the NBA season due to back issues.
Earlier this month, Simmons was ruled out for the season due to a nerve impingement in his lower back. Reports from The Athletic indicated that he was exploring treatment options for the injury.
During the latest episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, when co-host Adam Lefkoe asked O’Neal and Jamal Crawford which NBA player they would pay to see, O’Neal wasted no time in targeting Simmons.
“Ben Simmons because I’d wanna learn how you can make $80 million and play 55 games,” O’Neal retorted swiftly. “Teach me. Teach me how you can play 55 games in three seasons and get $30m, $40m, and get another $40m just by saying your back hurt.”
“Get some Icy Hot, man up,” O’Neal quipped.
Simmons appeared in just 15 games for Brooklyn this season, with his last game on February 26 in a win against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Simmons’ back issues first surfaced during his tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers. Alongside reported mental struggles, his physical ailments led him to miss the 2021-22 season. Last season, he played 42 games, grappling with lingering back and knee issues.
Despite being a former No. 1 pick and a three-time All-Star from 2019 through 2021, Simmons’ time in Philadelphia ended in a fallout, followed by a frustrating tenure in Brooklyn.
This season, Simmons averaged 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists while shooting 58.1 percent from the field. However, his team sits at 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 28-45 record late in the season.
O’Neal had previously criticized Simmons, labeling him a crybaby during his time in Philadelphia and referring to him as Joel Embiid’s “soft partner.”
“The difference between him (Embiid) and his soft partner is he can take criticism without being a crybaby and he still wants to play,” O’Neal remarked on Inside the NBA. “The other guy [Simmons], I don’t respect and I’ve been thinking about it, he’s missing the whole season because they asked your coach a question, ‘can we win with you?’ and your coach gave a funny answer to tell you in the summertime you need to work on your game.”
