Ben Simmons missed the entirety of the 2021-22 NBA season with an assortment of physical and mental ailments.
When the Brooklyn Nets acquired him at the trade deadline in exchange for James Harden, there was optimism that his return was inevitable. Unfortunately, those plans quickly got derailed when the 25-year-old cited back problems as a reason why he couldn’t come back.
With Simmons unavailable, Brooklyn became the only squad to be swept out of the first round of the playoffs. Shortly thereafter he announced that he was having back surgery.
This week photos emerged that seem to shine a light on how recovery is going.
The pictures in question feature Simmons on vacation with his longtime girlfriend, Maya Jama:
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Much has been made about Simmons’ inability to return to the basketball court. His Nets teammate Kyrie Irving has addressed the matter at length. Philadelphia 76ers legend Allen Iverson has offered his blunt thoughts on it, too.
If these photos are to be believed, then it seems like Simmons’ off-the-court recovery is going smoothly. That in turn suggests that a return to play is imminent.
With Simmons, though – who knows.
Funnily enough, at least one NBA team has expressed interest in acquiring Simmons from the Nets if the front office isn’t willing to commit to him long-term.
Plus, those Simmons to the Golden State Warriors rumors seem to be intensifying by the day.
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
The photos speak for themselves.https://t.co/VLUWFIrOzN
— Game 7 (@game7__) May 25, 2022
Next season promises to be an intriguing one for Simmons. If he returns to form, is healthy and plays at an All-Star level – a lot of his past sins will be washed away.
Should 2022-23 end up being a rehash of 2021-22, though, then Simmons will do incredible damage to his overall legacy.
In fact, at that point people may start talking about him like one of the biggest busts of his generation.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
