Shaquille O’Neal added that struggles are part and parcel of the business, and Ben Simmons should learn to deal with the criticism. The former showed concern for the latter’s issues with mental health, wishing him well as he ramps up his return to action this season.
Ben Simmons’ poor performance during the 76ers’ poor playoffs showing in 2021 drew criticism from the team’s fans, coach Doc Rivers and co-star Joel Embiid. Simmons refused to suit up for the team during the 2021-22 season. He cited mental health as the reason behind his decision to stay on the sidelines.
Simmons also didn’t suit up for the Brooklyn Nets after getting traded in February. Shaquille O’Neal and many other former players, analysts and fans took shots at the three-time All-Star. However, he dealt with a back issue during that stretch and had to undergo surgery to recover from it this offseason.
What did Ben Simmons say about Shaquille O’Neal?
Shaquille O’Neal revealed he had a conversation with Ben Simmons when the latter refused to play last season. Simmons told him about the issues he dealt with, and since then, O’Neal has stopped taking shots at Simmons.
However, Simmons called out Shaq for not reaching out to him. During a recent appearance on “The Old Man & the Three” podcast, Simmons said (H/T Fansided):
Ben Simmons wasn’t impressed with Shaquille O’Neal for not respecting the “LSU” connection. That was despite the latter always mentioning it when talking about the Brooklyn Nets’ forward.
Simmons revealed that several people linked to the NBA reached out to him, which explains why he seemed upset about O’Neal not reaching out to him during his difficult phase over the last year.
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