Ben Simmons made his long-awaited Brooklyn Nets debut last night as he stepped onto an NBA court for the first time in almost 18 months after not playing last season.
The Australian playmaker refused to play for the Philadelphia 76ers last season as he cited mental health issues as the reason he had 'not been ready' to take the floor with his teammates. In an interview with former teammate JJ Redick, Simmons had stated that he asked the Sixers for help, however, he was continuously fined for refusing to play - making him the most fined player in NBA history. Simmons and the Sixers have since settled a deal after the former filed a grievance to recoup around $20million (£17m) which he was fined.
Whilst struggling last season, the former number one overall pick was traded to the Brooklyn Nets for fellow superstar James Harden. However, he would not play after being diagnosed with a herniated disc before having the aforementioned surgery.
But this off-season, Simmons has recovered and now looks finally ready to go alongside fellow superstars in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, with the Nets being slated as one of the favourites this upcoming season.
In his first game for the Nets, Simmons and Irving spoke at half-time, it has been revealed, with the latter encouraging his new teammate. Irving told Nets reporter Erik Slater: “I told him, ‘when you’re playing with some high-level players, despite what you’ve heard, we’re gonna make the game easier for you.’
"And he's going to love playing with us. He's going to love getting up and down the floor with us. But for him to be out there for his first day, and for us to experience it with him, is something that we can remember for the rest of the season as something that we got through. It's day one, highly anticipated. Glad it went his way tonight."
Simmons had some rusty moments in last night's loss against his former team, the 6'10 guard moved well and showed his athleticism early with a dunk before playing well on the defensive end - a main strength of his game.
Speaking after his debut, he said: "I'm grateful just to be able to step on that floor. To step on an NBA floor again. I had a lot of fun out there.
He added: "That's the one thing, I thought I was going to be nervous. But I wasn't nervous. I was excited."
