Brooklyn Nets wing Ben Simmons has missed two entire seasons in his career, and has also played less than 60 games in four of the six years where he has appeared in a contest.
So as the 28-year-old enters his ninth NBA season, one that will pay him over $40 million in the final year of his contract, it's fair to criticize his lack of availability over the better part of the last decade despite being touted as a freak athlete when he entered the league out of LSU in 2016.
But that doesn't mean Simmons likes (or even agrees with the criticism). He believes he's healthy once and for all, which NBA fans will need to see to believe.
"People make comments saying I'm 'robbing,'" Simmons told the New York Post. "No. When I got that contract, I was playing at a super high level. Unfortunately, I've had injuries. But for somebody to say that, it's disrespectful. [But] people can say what they want to say. They've got to live with it. At the end of the day, it all catches up with you."
I think some would rebut Simmons in saying that he has to live with the criticism. The facts are that he hasn't been healthy, with various issues plaguing him over the course of his career. Most recently, it's been his lingering back issues.
Simmons played in just 15 games last season for Brooklyn, averaging 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists per contest. If the Nets want to feel like they're getting anything out of Simmons in the final year of his deal, he'll need to play more than 15 times over the span of 82 games.
The Nets kick off the regular season on Oct. 23 on the road against the Atlanta Hawks.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ben Simmons Says It's 'Disrespectful' to Say He's 'Robbing' Teams Due to Injury.
