"I don't care about people saying certain things because I can't control that" - Ben Simmons sends out defiant message as he looks to have productive season with Brooklyn Nets

Ben Simmons wants to put the past behind him. After a disappointing 2021-22 season, Simmons looks eager to play for the Brooklyn Nets. The Philadelphia 76ers traded Simmons to the Nets for James Harden in February 2022. Simmons, however, did not play a single NBA game last season, even after he was traded to the Nets.

Many have criticized Simmons' decision not to take the floor in the Nets' 2022 first-round loss to the Boston Celtics. But Simmons says he is not bothered about the criticism. Speaking at the Brooklyn Nets media day on September 26, Simmons told the press:

"Everybody has dark days, but when you're able to address it and work towards getting to a place where you need to be, that's where I am. For me, I work on myself everyday."

When pressed about being frustrated over any negative narrative around him, Ben Simmons replied:

"I don't care about narratives. I don't care about people saying certain things because I can't control that. All I can do is focus on what I can do on the court, win games, help this team win a championship. That's the end goal for the Nets, obviously. We're here for one reason."

Ben Simmons has come out swinging at his detractors

The positivity around Ben Simmons' demeanor could be a positive sign. Just last week, Simmons appeared on former NBA player JJ Redick's podcast "The Old Man and The Three." Simmons addressed many of the controversies involving him since the 2021 playoffs. The consistent thing about Simmons' responses in the interview was that he wasn't holding back.

Take, for instance, Simmons' reaction to Shaquille O'Neal's criticism of the 2018 Rookie of the Year award. O'Neal had referred to Simmons as a "crybaby" last season.

Addressing O'Neal's criticism, Ben Simmons told Redick:

"I think it's kinda ignorant, like Shaq and Chuck (Barkley) sometimes what they're saying," Simmons said. "Because they have a platform to protect us and do good. Obviously, they're supposed to criticize us; we're basketball players. Even Shaq, when I was dealing with everything going on, I actually messaged him, and he put it out.

"I DM'd him, 'Why are you saying this if you don't even know the story?' Because he always wants to say, 'Yo, we're LSU brothers; you're my brother.' All this, that. If you're my LSU brother, you would've reached out by now, and it’s been months since I've been dealing with this. You ain't reached out once and said like, 'Hey, you ok? Like, what's going on?'"