Philadelphia 76ers point-forward and Australian native Ben Simmons lent his support to his home country via social media on Friday afternoon as bushfires engulf the Southern Hemisphere nation.
As a result of extremely hot temperatures and dry weather, winds have picked up wildfires and spread the destruction, especially on the eastern coast of Australia. Millions of acres of land and wildlife have been destroyed in the path of the uncontrollable fires, driving families from their homes and creating irreversible damage to the country's climate and environment.
On Twitter, the Sixers All-Star shared his thoughts about the destruction that enveloped his fellow Australians.
I’m so sad by the loss our country is currently facing. The images of the raging fires, people, families, firefighters and wildlife are nothing short of terrifying. 12 million acres of land destroyed, human lives lost, animals being wiped out and misplaced with homes and communities in ruins and this number continues to rise daily.
I am working with my family and calling on my Australian NBA brothers and any others that can, to do our part to help in this catastrophic disaster, not just for today but to support communities in their eventual rebuild when the fires have stopped.
Australia is a strong and resilient country and I urge you all to be brave, kind and compassionate to each other through this extremely hard time.
Ben Simmons spent his summer in Australia visiting the Boomers as they warmed up before the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China but did not participate in the second-biggest international basketball competition last September. He previously pledged himself to compete for Team Australia in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
For now, Simmons' heart is weighing heavily as he manages an NBA lifestyle while his home country of Australia sees its worst environmental catastrophe in modern history.