Kevin Garnett has never been one to bite his tongue. He says what he means and doesn’t care whose feelings get hurt in the process.
This week, the former Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics legend turned his attention to the ongoing saga of Ben Simmons’ career.
The Brooklyn Nets shut Simmons down for the season earlier this week, prompting questions about whether he will play for the organization again and what his future truly looks like.
“I want you go back and find your roots. Go back and find why you love playing the game… There’s Melo, Cousins at home, Dwight. There’s n— at home that could be in the league. If your heart ain’t in it, it is what it is.”
Kevin Garnett on Ben Simmons 🗣️pic.twitter.com/wxsVoRdsHn
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 2, 2023
“I want you go back and find your roots,” Garnett publicly said to Simmons.
“Go back and find why you love playing the game… There’s Melo, Cousins at home, Dwight. There’s n— at home that could be in the league. If your heart ain’t in it, it is what it is.
“… I think he got another run in him but it’s gonna have to be Ben Simmons. Not his mom, not none of this collective around him. It’s gotta be him. I want to see dude get back to killing, man. …
“He got a whole ‘nother f*****g level, bro. It hurts me to see him shut down. … I need to see Ben Simmons in the Summer League. I need to see some summer workouts. … I’m talking about some real life workouts. That’s what this is, that’s what the NBA is.”
Simmons still has nearly $80 million owed to him on his current deal. And he doesn’t need to play well to get it. So it’s unlikely that he is actually going to quit basketball, even if at times it feels like he probably should.
The man seems far more concerned with beautiful women and life outside the basketball court than actually playing.
There has been chatter about Brooklyn possibly dealing Simmons to a fellow Eastern Conferenced squad, but obviously nothing has materialized.
Trevor Lawrence knows how to keep his lady satisfied.https://t.co/64XTGrWIc9
— Game 7 (@game7__) April 3, 2023
And with each passing day that Simmons doesn’t look like his old, All-Star self – his stock plummets in the eyes of people around the NBA.
Will Simmons ultimately heed Garnett’s advice and get his career back on track in 2023-24? Time will tell.
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Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
