“Like, come on, man, you think I’m just airballing every shot?” – Ben Simmons reacts to his viral clip of his air ball, says people are unnecessarily trying to defame him
Ben Simmons continues to make headlines whether he wants to or not.
Simmons was at an open practice earlier this week, when, while walking to midcourt, he nonchalantly turned around and fired off a shot. The attempt missed the hoop entirely. Unsurprisingly, the internet clipped the video and circulated it around, mocking the Brooklyn Nets guard for his air ball.
He's become used to the endless online criticism in recent years. The way he sees things, that simply comes with the territory of being Ben Simmons. During an interview with ESPN's Nick Friedell, the Brooklyn Nets guard spoke about the clip:
"The other day, there was a clip of me airballing a shot at the park. Meanwhile, like, 10 guys airballed multiple shots. So, it’s like people will find one clip. ... Like, come on, man, you think I’m just airballing every shot? It’s not true.
"But it comes with it, and you got to have tough skin, and I realize that, but, nah, I can’t take everything personally. It’s social media.”
After having nearly as many turnovers as he did assists to start the preseason, Simmons turned things around against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. In 28 minutes, he tallied seven points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. He had two turnovers. It marked an All-Star caliber performance for a player sorely in need of some good press. However, the talk online focused on the negative.
Ben Simmons: Destined for greatness?
For a No. 1 draft pick like Ben Simmons who can guard multiple positions on defense while facilitating at an elite level on offense, expectations are high. Ever since Simmons entered the league, there has been a tremendous amount of pressure on him as a result of his high ceiling. To him, if he wasn't so talented, people wouldn't focus on him as much.
With time winding down before the start of the season, Simmons seems to be in a good place mentally. After enduring considerable criticism over the past few years, Simmons views the incessant chirping as somewhat of a "respect thing."
“Because people know what I can do, what I’m capable of," Simmons said. "I believe that’s what it is. Like, if I was somebody that wasn’t capable of doing certain things, I don’t think people would be on my ass as much. And I don’t mind it, because it kind of motivates me in a way."
As the season rapidly approaches, only time will tell whether Simmons will be able to silence the noise and help the Nets win a championship.