Ben Simmons is pushing back on the story that grew around his year away from the NBA.
Speaking with NBA insider Chris Haynes after Sacramento Kings practice, Simmons said the frustration wasn’t just being out of sight - it was the way that absence got framed.
“You know what the most annoying part about it is? When you got ESPN and certain outlets like that, you know, giving false narratives and information.That’s probably the most frustrating part.”
Simmons spent the entire 2025-26 season out of action before signing a one-year, $3.5 million deal with the Kings this offseason. According to Haynes, the three-time All-Star has looked promising in Kings practices, and Sacramento has high hopes for what he can bring this season.
When Haynes pressed him on which narratives bothered him most, Simmons didn’t single out one report. Instead, he pointed to the broader speed with which opinions can harden into “truth” in today’s media cycle.
“Not, like, specifically. I just think overall, you know, a lot of things that are said so quickly nowadays that can change the narrative or give people a perception of something that’s not true, which sucks, but it comes with it. But yes, the reality is I had to deal with a lot of shit physically, and I’m back on the court.”
That has been Simmons’ message for a while now. At Kings media day, he pushed back on the idea that he’d fallen out of love with basketball, saying his time away was about letting his body recover from the back and nerve issues that have followed him for years.
He also said he essentially shut basketball out for a stretch during that year, going a long period without even picking up a ball. The focus, he said, was on getting healthy and putting himself back together mentally.
Now he says there are no limitations as he tries to restart a career that once made him one of the league’s brightest young players.
Simmons’ résumé still stands out: three-time All-Star, All-NBA selection, two-time All-Defensive First Team pick and the 2018 Rookie of the Year. But injuries changed everything. In his last NBA season, he averaged 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists over 51 games with the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers.
Sacramento is not expecting a return to peak All-Star Simmons, but the team has still found reasons to believe in the fit. Head coach Doug Christie has praised Simmons’ versatility, saying Simmons can guard anybody, while Malik Monk said playing with him should lead to more shots for his teammates.
After a year out of the spotlight, Simmons finally has a chance to answer the noise on the court. And his message is straightforward: he stepped away to get healthy, not because he walked away from basketball.
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