Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons came under a lot of fire during his team's playoff run. The ex-Sixers star was rumored to return for their Game 4 against the Celtics to avoid a sweep. However, at the last moment, Simmons' camp decided not to return, citing back problems and mental issues.

After they got swept, former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal weighed in on Ben Simmons' back issues. The Los Angeles Lakers legend slammed the Nets point guard for his actions on his podcast, saying that:

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“When somebody says their back hurt, you gotta come believe them. But your back can’t hurt if you're jumping up and down. Your back can’t hurt if you're doing all this. Is your back maybe sore? Yeah, everybody’s back sore! I ain’t play in 15 years, my back and my knees and my ankle are sore. … That’s why people don’t respect a guy like that.”

Many fans weren't too happy with Simmons' decision to sit out Game 4. For them, the Nets star should've at least tried to play in an elimination game to avoid the sweep. Many fans have gone on to say that Simmons' back issues are just an excuse, and have accused the star of, well, just about anything.

Ben Simmons' situation is a rather tricky topic to talk about. On one hand, you have fans alleging that the Nets star is faking mental illness and back issues to avoid playing. On the other hand, there are many indications that show that Simmons is indeed struggling with some form of anxiety. Perhaps the best course of action here is to simply just let Simmons recover at his own pace.