If you’re looking for Ben Simmons, you won’t find him on the courts of the NBA. If you’re lucky, Candy may sneak up on him by rummaging through the selection in his store. Comedian Gerald Huston approached Simmons and decided to give the NBA star a hard time calling him Russell Westbrook on multiple occasions. But this was no mistake of identity. Like Russ, Ben can’t shoot the damn thing, so the comic was called Simmons Westbrook.
Watching the 30-second clip, I was struck by how Simmons handled the situation by retreating his stand-up with a stern voice. Whenever there is an incident in which fans approach a professional athlete with animosity, there is always reason to pause as the situation can escalate quickly. It was nice to see
Westbrook had a similar incident with a Toronto fan, thinking it would be funny to have a crush on the former MVP. There was someone there to step in. Had it not happened, Westbrook might have caught the case that night.
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This is the attitude the NBA and the Brooklyn Nets need Simmons to bring into the upcoming season. The 76ers would’ve relished having this confident version of Ben in Philadelphia last year. Instead, he didn’t play one game for Philly last season and hasn’t played for Brooklyn since being traded at the Deadline in February.
Simmons settlement He filed a complaint with the Sixers in hopes of getting back some of the $20 million the team had withheld for his refusal to play. The amount is unknown.
All the reports we’ve heard over the past year have mostly concerned Simmons’ mental health, affected by all that happened in Philadelphia. Now that the whole Sixers experience is officially behind him, hopefully we’ll see renewed focus from Ben on the Nets.
The net has its own Drama It’s still unfolding, but it has nothing to do with Ben. Brooklyn needs Simmons to come in and do his best. If he can’t shoot yet, it’s not his game. If he could still distribute, rebound and defend, the Nets would do much better, especially with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving hanging out.
Don’t be surprised to see a fresh-faced Simmons this season with renewed focus and intensity.
