>**Q**: Have you talked to [Durant and Irving] specifically about handling the criticism that comes your way?
>**Simmons**: Me and Ky literally were just talking about it before practice. He’s like ‘Why is everybody on our heads?’ F—, we’re interesting people, I guess. Some guys you wouldn’t talk about because you just don’t care.
___
>**Q**: How do you block out all the noise that seems to find you?
>**Simmons**: It finds me all the time. And it doesn’t f—-ing stop. Sometimes I’m even sick of it, but then I’m like, ‘OK, I’m Ben Simmons,’ you know? Even the other day there was a clip of me air balling a shot at the park. Meanwhile, like 10 guys air balled multiple shots. So it’s like people will find one clip and try to make it that everything — like Ben can’t do [this or that]. You think I’m just air balling every shot? It’s not true. But you got to have tough skin and I realize that, but I can’t take everything personally. It’s social media.
___
>**Q**: What do you do when people are like, “Ben can’t shoot, or Ben’s not going to go to the line?”
>**Simmons**: They’re going to say that regardless. Even if I hit a shot, what are they going to say? ‘I still can’t.’ F—, I can’t make everybody happy, you know? … That’s like saying can Giannis [Antetokounmpo] shoot? Can he?
___
>**Q**:Are you looking forward to that game [against the 76ers on Nov. 22]?
>**Simmons**: F—, I can’t wait to go there, yeah. But for me, everything’s an experience and a learning situation. So for me I’m able to learn something that I’ve never been through before. I’ve never been traded and played against a team that I got traded from. Kev has, Ky has, a lot of guys have, but I’ve never been in that situation so — you have to go through it. Ky went back to Boston, and he didn’t play well, but it’s a lot. We’re people, too. We want to go out there and prove everyone wrong.
___
>**Q**: While we’re on this topic — have you talked to Joel [Embiid] yet?
>**Simmons**: I don’t talk to Jo. We never really spoke.
>**Q**: You guys had a lot of success when you were there. How would you describe that relationship now?
>**Simmons**: I don’t think there was really a relationship there. Like in terms of a friendship? You can try as hard as you want to try to be close to somebody, be their friend, whatever it is, but everyone is different as people, so for me, it’s never personal. I don’t have any anger or hate towards him. He is who he is and I am who I am. And we’ve got our personal lives. And work is basketball, so in that moment, my goal is to win and I got to win with Jo. He’s a great player, we just didn’t get it done.
A lot more interesting stuff on Nick Friedell’s Q and A with Ben [here](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34789444/nets-ben-simmons-dishes-joel-embiid-air-balls-kd-more).
by FultzShoulder
31 Comments
At least giannis worked on his shooting and make attempts in game lol i dont think that is a good comparison
Throwback to when Embiid said “At this point I don’t care about that man” referring to Simmons
https://streamable.com/wvub7n
> Me and Ky literally were just talking about it before practice. He’s like ‘Why is everyone on our heads?’
Because Kyrie Irving is a pseudo intellectual jackass and everyone thinks you’re a pussy because of how unclear the whole situation was over the last year
Can’t bring up Giannis because his response to getting humiliated in the playoffs was to face the questions in the media and improve the skills that let him down enough to win a chip. Ben pretty much took the exact opposite route. He can’t compare himself to Giannis yet.
Man, Ben is not a very likeable guy. This team is going to be bizarre this year.
I mean yeah most people aren’t close friends with their coworkers. There’s tons of articles about how Steph Curry isn’t that close with Klay Thompson or Draymond Green. All that matters is how you mesh on the court, not off
Edit: [Found Marcus Thompsons old Q and A on Reddit about this topic](https://np.reddit.com/r/warriors/comments/6avmse/ama_w_marcus_thompson_author_of_golden/dhht2hu/)
Dude conveniently forgot to include the part where Giannis has worked relentlessly on improving his shot and even though it’s still not there, the improvements are evident and clear….something he outright refused to do. What a baby
Gonna go out on a limb here and say Giannis has probably hit more 3s in a single game than Ben’s total career attempts at jump shots lol
>That’s like saying can Giannis shoot?
Excuse me, did he not see Game 6 Finals where Giannis put in one of the GOAT performances in a Finals game?
Also, is he comparing himself to someone who isn’t scared of having the basketball in his hands and is willing to shoot 3s and free throws and IMPROVE as a basketball player?
i hope the nets bury themselves in their own vanity, fuck i can’t think of a more unlikable group of talent across any sport in my life. “Sometimes I’m even sick of it, but then I’m like, ‘OK, I’m Ben Simmons,’ you know?” Yes, we know exactly who you are.
Kinda annoying how Ben acts like he doesn’t have this bizarre resistant to taking 3s. He shouldn’t compare himself to Giannis. Giannis actually went outside his comfort zone to become a better shooter.
Kyrie asking, “why is everybody on our heads?” Is legendary lack of self-awareness. Idk man maybe it’s posting about Alex Jones or comparing your fight against vaccines to Ali’s fight against going to Vietnam.
Bag full of talent, head full of crap.
Yeah. So instead of ignoring the criticism ; he says he doesn’t care but he actually does.
Yeah, just like Giannis!
Ben, you are not Giannis.
Please stop using that comparison.
At least Giannis tries to improve and is willing to take shots in actual games.
Giannis catching strays!
Giannis can shoot though. Sure, he isn’t drilling threes like Steph, but he can shoot enough that teams have to somewhat pay attention to him.
Not gonna lie I find it hilarious how Simmons just threw in
> Ky went back to Boston, and he didn’t play well
Especially in the context of what he’s saying and has said about public criticism
A guy who averages 16ppg compares himself to the most dominant scorer in the league to excuse his limited shooting ability? Seems legit.
Ben comparing his shooting to Giannis’ is like Giannis comparing his to Steph’s lol
There is no way this bozo compared himself to Giannis who is one of the hardest working players in the league. Giannis is closer to KD in shooting than Ben is to Giannis. What a clown
I mean I get the point he’s trying to make with his “can he shoot” comments but he’s not remotely close to being the shooter that Giannis is (or the player for that matter).
The most unlikable trio ever assembled. They are all suffering from crippling narcissism and an inflated sense of self. Greatly overestimating their talent and ability to play more than 30 games together in one season.
I’m rooting for Ben and I actually think he’s going to have a great year. But my guy, don’t even mention Giannis in any kind of comparison. Giannis is fucking Giannis.
If he was actually like Giannis, nobody would be talking shit about him to the level it has been.
Ben, Kyrie, and KD were made for each other. These dudes are something else.
Giannis has developed a respectable shot you brain dead motherfucker. Simmons won’t even attempt a shot 😭
I mean…Giannis at least tries. Also, Giannis doesn’t spend the overwhelming amount of his time on the court at point guard. Which is a position expected to be able to shoot. Also also, when Giannis got grilled on his skills, he swallowed it and actively, visibly got better
“Can’t wait to play us” dude had the perfect opportunity and bitched out of it last season lmao
That one contract extension revealed everything wrong about this person. Teamplayer… no. Skilled… undeveloped/limited. Mental Toughness… strong no. Rich…. yes. Shallow af and out of touch… yes. He’s interesting because he sucks and gets paid and has yet to prove otherwise for an extended period of time now.