Ben Simmons spoke to the media for the first time in nearly eight months as a member of the Nets on Tuesday, after his contentious battle with the 76ers and a lengthy hiatus from the NBA due to mental health concerns.
After he was seen on the bench during Brooklyn‘s win over Sacramento on Monday following last week's trade between the Nets and the Sixers, Simmons stepped in front of a microphone and a room full of reporters for the first time since June 20, 2021 on Tuesday morning. The 25-year-old called the opportunity to join a star-studded Nets team, led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving a “blessing,” explaining that he's ready to move forward from the events of the last few months.
“For me the mental health has nothing to do with the trade. It was a bunch of things that I was dealing with as a person in my personal life that I don't really want to into depth about. But I‘m here now,“ Simmons said of joining the Nets. “It‘s a blessing to be in an organization like this and I'm just looking forward to getting back on the floor and building something great here.”
Simmons landed in Brooklyn via a blockbuster deal ahead of last Thursday's trade deadline. The Nets traded superstar James Harden and Paul Millsap to the 76ers, acquiring Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks in return.
The trade ended a months-long standoff between the former No. 1 overall pick and Philadelphia that began when the Sixers fell to the Hawks in Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals, during which Simmons played poorly and passed up a dunk late in the fourth quarter. Sixers coach Doc Rivers and All-NBA center Joel Embiid didn't publicly back the three-time All-Star after the loss, causing a further rift between the point guard and the organization.
Although many have traced back the beginning of the end to his infamous Game 7 performance, Simmons shared on Tuesday that his unhappiness at the end of his tenure in Philadelphia was the result of many instances over his years with the franchise.
“It was just piled up... a bunch things over the years to where I just knew I wasn't myself and I need to get back into the place of being myself and being happy as a person,“ Simmons explained. “It wasn't about the basketball, it wasn‘t about the money, anything like that. You know I wanna be who I am and playing basketball at that [high] level and being myself.“
When asked what was going through his mind during and after what would become his final game with the Sixers, Simmons shared that the aftermath of the team‘s playoff elimination made clear to him that he needed to work on his mental health.
“That I needed to get into a good place mentally, honestly,“ the 25-year-old responded. “That was the main thing.”
There have been fans and media members around the league that have questioned Simmons's intentions and the legitimacy of his mental health struggles over the last few months. Although he‘s heard the noise, the three-time All-Star hasn‘t paid much attention to his doubters and is eager to begin a new chapter in Brooklyn.
“They should be happy I’m smiling honesty,“ Simmons answered when asked what he would say to those that questioned him. “I’ve had some dark times these last six months and I’m just happy to be in this situation with this team and organization. People gonna say what they want. They’ve said in the last six months and I haven’t commented. It is what it is, people are always gonna have their own opinions.“
As of Tuesday, there remains no timetable for Simmons to return to the court and make his Nets debut, but Steve Nash said that he believes the 25-year-old to be in a “good place” mentally. Brooklyn‘s new point guard did make clear that he hopes to be ready to play by the time the Nets square off with the Sixers on Mar. 10.
