Shaquille O’Neal SLAMS Ben Simmons and tells Nets star to ‘man up’ after he was ruled out for the rest of the season with more injury issues: ‘I wanna learn how you can make $80m and play 55 games’
- Ben Simmons averaged 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 15 games
- Shaquille O’Neal previously criticized Simmons by calling him a crybaby
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Shaquille O’Neal flamed Ben Simmons as the Brooklyn Nets guard sits out the rest of the NBA season with issues.
Earlier this month, the 27-year-old was ruled out for the season due to a nerve infarction in his lower back. The Athletic also reported that Simmons was exploring treatment options for the injury.
On the latest episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, the Hall-of-Famer didn’t hold back when co-host Adam Lefkoe asked him and Jamal Crawford which NBA player they would pay to see.
“Ben Simmons because I want to learn how to make $80 million and play 55 games,” O’Neal quickly responded. “Teach me.”
“Teach me how to play f***ing 55 games in three seasons and get $30 million, $40 million, get another $40 million just by saying you have a backache.”
Shaquille O’Neal slammed Ben Simmons for sitting out the NBA season with back problems
On March 7, the Nets guard was ruled out due to a nerve infarction in his lower back
“Buy a goddamn Icy Hot, man up,” O’Neal added.
Simmons has played in 15 games for Brooklyn this season, with his last coming on February 26 in a 111-86 win against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The former LSU Tiger’s back problems first came to light while he was playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. Aside from the point guard’s reported mental issues, the physical strain caused Simmons to miss the 2021-2022 season.
Last season, Simmons missed 42 games due to persistent back and knee problems. Brooklyn finished sixth in the Eastern Conference before being swept by the 76ers in the first round of the playoffs.
A former No. 1 pick, Simmons was an All-Star from 2019 through 2021 before a falling out with Philadelphia and a frustrating stint in Brooklyn.
Simmons played in 15 games for Brooklyn this season, averaging 6.1 points and 7.9 rebounds
This season, Simmons averaged 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists while shooting 58.1 percent from the field. His team is 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 28-45 record late in the season.
O’Neal had previously been critical of Simmons, labeling him a crybaby during his time in Philadelphia. The NBA Hall-of-Famer also considered Simmons to be Joel Embiid’s “soft partner.”
“The difference between him (Embiid) and his soft partner is that he can take criticism without being a crybaby and he still wants to play,” O’Neal said on Inside the NBA.
“The other guy (Simmons), who I don’t respect and I’ve been thinking about it, he’s missing the whole season because they asked your coach a question: ‘can we win with you?’ and your coach gave a funny response telling you to work on your game over the summer.”