Brooklyn Nets’ Ben Simmons Swipes Past Critics on Social Media

Ben Simmons doesn’t miss a thing online.

After a video of Brooklyn Nets player Ben Simmons shooting an air ball during an event for fans in a Brooklyn park on Sunday went viral, the former All-Star had to chuckle when asked how he blocks out all the noise that seems to find him. You can see the video of Ben casually air balling a shot below:

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Ben Simmons is in mid-season form
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— Stokastic (@Stokastic_Com) October 11, 2022

Ben spoke about the video and how he handles all the criticism.

“It finds me all the time,” Simmons told ESPN prior to Wednesday night’s 107-97 preseason win against the Milwaukee Bucks. “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? It comes with being Ben Simmons right now.’

“Even the other day there was a clip of me air balling a shot at the park. Meanwhile, like 10 guys airballed 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]. 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.”

From his vantage point, Simmons has a simple explanation for why he believes he deals with so much outrage from fans.

“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. Obviously, sometimes it’s a lot for anybody to deal with that, but I look at it a little bit like a respect thing, in a way.

“Because if that wasn’t the case then I wouldn’t have … there would be no upside to me doing something well. If I come out and play a great game then you can’t say anything, you know? But it’s a part of it. That’s why it’s kind of cool being on a team with these two guys [Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving] because they’ve been through different things in their careers, where they can kind of relate, because their names always — something’s going on with everybody’s name here. I take it for what it is.”

It’s going to be a long season for Ben Simmons.

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