Subscribe
Follow Us
Though he was taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Sixers point guard Ben Simmons was forced to sit out his rookie season due to an ankle injury. After a lengthy rehab, the Australian-born star made a full recovery. However, he says there were dark days along the way:
“The darkest day was the day I hurt myself,” Simmons tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “I had a lot of those days where I was just down just knowing how long I’d been wanting to play in the league, and then you get hurt. You get delayed by a year, a season. And then you have to go back through the summer and get ready again.”
Some players have a hard time recovering after a significant injury. In fact, some are never the same. Simmons, however, is proving that it can be done.
Elton Brand, who was a Sixers forward at the time, knew Simmons would overcome the injury:
Article Continues Below
“There was pressure being Ben Simmons and the No. 1 pick. Will he get to an All-Star level? I actually was on the court when he got hurt in training camp,” said Brand, who is now the Sixers’ general manager. “But the one thing I saw was his work ethic. He’s a worker, loves basketball and loves the game, so I knew he’d get through that tough time.”
Though he was down about his setback, Simmons says he learned a lot from sitting out that season:
“I thought I would come into the league ready to go,” Simmons said after recovering from his injury. “But you know, I had a setback, and it really gave me a chance to open my eyes and realize I have a lot of work to do. But at the same time, it gave me a learning opportunity that most guys don’t get.”
Simmons is back in action now, and he's enjoying a fine season. In 52 appearances with the Sixers (all starts), the 22-year-old star has racked up averages of 16.9 points on 57.5 percent shooting from the field, 9.4 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 1.3 steals and just under one block (0.8) in 33.7 minutes per outing.
