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Ben Simmons has stated his intentions to represent Australia at the Olympics, saying he is ready to “come back and dominate people” after overcoming injury problems.
Simmons’ once-promising career has come to an abrupt halt in recent seasons due to debilitating back injuries that have left him a shadow of his former self.
The 27-year-old missed the entire 2021-22 season and was then limited to just 42 games last season, where he posted career lows in every major statistical category while working games.
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Simmons’ injury problems meant he missed the Boomers’ historic bronze-medal campaign in Tokyo two years ago, but he says he is “100 percent” interested in joining the team in Paris. He has yet to represent Australia since he was selected first in the 2016 NBA draft.
“I’ll let you break the news. I want to play,” he told ESPN Andascape.
“That’s the other thing. I get messages from Australians like, ‘Hey, you should be playing right now. Jock Landale is playing right now.’
“For me, I’m going to play when I’m ready. There really hasn’t been a time where I’ve been physically ready. But next year, my goal is to be on the Olympic team.”
Simmons became a popular target of criticism after his rocky exit from Philadelphia, admitting he felt “miserable” at times last season while dealing with back problems.
The three-time NBA All-Star has embarked on a rigorous off-season training regimen that includes five hours of different forms of exercise five days a week to recover.
“The back was not a joke,” he said.
“It affected everything I did. Driving a car, sitting down, trying to move. Just everything I did. I didn’t realize how much it affected me. It was like two different people.
“Off the court, just everyday things. Waking up, getting up. Getting out of bed, it was a struggle because I was usually in pain. Sitting for a long time, I felt tension.
“I’d tense up and then I’d stiffen up and I’d have that nerve damage going down my leg, so I’d feel it in my leg.
“Just normal stuff that you wouldn’t think would be a problem, it would be a little irritating, and it just kept growing and growing and growing.”
Simmons believes he is “100 per cent now” going into next season, saying the current version of himself would dominate the one who took the court last year.
“For me to come back and dominate the people will be fantastic,” he said.
“I have no intention of going back to being the same player I was last season, because I’m not even close to where I am. I get excited because I’m like, ‘Damn, I’d shit on the player I was last year.’ But I know where I was there last year, so it’s easy to say.
“For me, the worst part was when you’re not able to do something and people keep talking about it, and it’s not because you’re not capable, it’s just because you’re injured. Some people told me, ‘You’ve got to get to the rim and shoot. ‘ I’m like, ‘Hey, I can’t even jump off my knee. What are you talking about?’ Things like that frustrate you when you can’t shut someone up.”
Incredibly, despite the flak he’s had from Sixers fans since his move to Brooklyn, Simmons revealed that he still loves the city of Philadelphia.
“I had a lot of fun there. It was time to go. When I left, it was a good time,” he said.
“Obviously, the injury and everything that was going on didn’t help. But I think it gave me a chance to really appreciate it. I’ll always love Philadelphia.
“People always ask me, ‘If they moved you back to where you want me to be?’ I always say, “Only Philadelphia. Philly is my second home.” And over time, you learn and grow as people. I really don’t have a bad thing to say about Philly.
“In the end it was a crazy situation, but it is what it is.”
The beginning of the end of Simmons’ time in Philadelphia came during a now-infamous play during the 2021 playoffs when he missed a dunk against the Atlanta Hawks in the closing stages of a do-or-die Game 7 that the Sixers ultimately lost. It would be his last game in a Sixers uniform.
“I don’t even remember that game anymore,” Simmons said.
“For me, I made a play. I gave it to someone who’s probably going to shoot better from the free kick at that point in the game.
“It didn’t work out, but I made a play. People make hundreds of plays throughout the year. It won’t always be the right play at the right time, but it was a play.”
NBA teams will begin their training camps in late September before the 2023-24 regular season begins on October 25. The Nets will open their season with a home matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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