Stephen A.: EVERYWHERE Ben Simmons goes he’s NOT reliable 👀 | First Take 

Let's be real, no one actually believes that this guy is injured. I just wish someone other than Stephen A. would say it.

Ben is setting the Sports/Mental Health conversation back with him weaponizing a serious issue

The Nets would’ve been better off not trading for James Harden and keeping Jarrett Allen, Caris Levert and Taurean Prince

Ben Simmons is actually a master finesser 😂

LSU, Philly, Australia, Brooklyn, and the list will keep going.

I can’t wait to get into the analytics behind the next collective bargaining agreement for the nba. It’s definitely going to be interesting. Stephen A is dead on!

Mike miller had no back, 1 shoe and far less talent than Ben, but he still got out there to make a big 3 for Heat to help them win.

As an athlete, what Ben Simmons is getting away with is disgusting. Absolutely no guts and no competitive fire. Dude left his team because he was being criticized for coming up small in the playoffs. One of the most soft individuals I’ve seen play the sport.

Ben Simmons is a coward point blank. I was actually rooting for him after he left Philly but I’ve had enough

I love how they hit on the generational aspect of this, because it's not just sports. I feel like young people in general want 'the bag' with a minimal amount of effort. Part of me gets it, because we saw our parents get manipulated and overworked by companies that underpaid them, but knowing our worth somehow turned into entitlement.

Ben Simmons really sat out an entire season because Joel Embiid and Doc Rivers hurt his feelings

players that caused the damage: - ben simmons - kyrie - john wall - james harden - AD to some extent by sitting out of games during the end of his tenure with the pelicans - kawhi leonard to some extent by missing games to rest.

He's reliable to sit at that proper 90° Angle, like Thanos in Guardians of The Galaxy😂

Such a shame the NBA didn't protect Larry Bird like they do to their current players. Larry was getting tackled by Bill Laimbeer or choked by Dr. J. The 80s and 90s hard fouls were brutal. Enough to ruin entire careers.

At this point I wouldn’t doubt it if Ben Simmons never plays another game in the nba.

Next NBA Lockout will have the season reduced to 50 games and starting late like 1998-1999 if what Stephen A is saying is true. It will be a HUGE showdown between the owners and players.

2:58 Man that Pat Riley quote an excellent summation/encapsulation of the mentality that players had to have and 80s/90s and even 2000s. Compare and contrast that to cats today like Stephen A says a bit later in the video. SAS is 100% right on this one today!

totally agree with Stephen A. These nets will go down not as champions but as culprits in the scale back of the player empowerment era.

By few, is Stephen A. referring to Kawhi, Kyrie, and Ben? Two of those three on the Nets. The last throwback player was Kobe. He'd still play with a sprained ankle. MJ would get mugged in the lane. Headhunted. Still plays 82 games 9x.

KD said time & time again that he didn't expect Simmons back & wasn't going to rush his return. The problem is everyone always believing everything Woj reports. He's the one who came out claiming Ben might return in game 3.

3 years since KD & Kyrie signed and BKN hasnt sniffed an ECF? You hate to see it 😳😳😳

Only thing that hurts on Ben Simmons is his fragile feelings.

They PAID him too soon! They PAY most NBA players too soon!

Throw Kawhi in there too. These guys are divas. 😎😂😂😂

It's sad that these few players ruined contracts for youngins in the future.

My sentiments are on course with a lot of others about Ben Simmons actions as of lately. But what really caused the players to start thinking of themselves. Everybody forgets about Isiah Thomas and how he played through his injury for the benefit of the Celtics only to be traded in the end. Now this may have nothing to do with Ben's supposed injury in question. However, the leagues owners are not always the good guys neither. So when we talk about a bad CBA agreement both side of the basketball had something to do with current state of todays NBA.

The Jordan Rules was no joke. No exaggeration. MJ was literally getting mugged attacking the rim. Sometimes clotheslined. Many of those players in the 80s and 90s were. I saw Magic hitting Isiah while Isiah was in mid-air. Cheap shot.

I agree. Remember when Scottie Pippen was visibly in pain? He still was on the court to serve as a decoy to help the Bulls win another championship. Some of these guys just care for money. They not trying to get a ring.

I’m glad I’m old enough to recall Kobe’s prime, when he swapped numbers and all that. Guys wanna be great but they don’t wanna put the work in, when was kobe ever called out for missing games? And quitting? Never. He didn’t do that

Best thing SAS has said in a very long time

give Chris Herring his props, Stephen A! He wrote the book "Blood in the Garden"

Stephen A. Smith violated Ben Simmons with takes on & off the court

Stephen A: …And they are gonna pay for it. You can BOOK it! Me: SHEESH 😬

SAS is right. That Pat Riley story should be heard by lazy 'players'

I picked the Nets thinking Ben was playing I’m so salty 😂😂😂

both great points from Stephen A and Legs 1:45 2:46

"Wherever you go, there you are." - Jon Kabat-Zinn

Real talk

1:56 PERFECT take Legs

It’s like that in the NFL too 💯

The reason I question the back is 1. The timing so you telling me as soon as he got to Brooklyn (which he needed to pass physicals to get there btw) he has an injured back 2. The dude demanded his money from the sixers when he refused to show up to training camp that isn’t the sign of someone who is hurt and can’t play normally you focus on your injury ask Klay and KD what they thought when they couldn’t play.

“Blood In The Garden” is a great book about the 90’s Knicks!

It’s funny how he’s not doing a single segment on kd..but let that man drop 40 one game and he’s the greatest of all time lol

Facts 💥

Let's say a player gets 30M$ year divided by 82 games = 366.000 per game. If the player misses the entire season, he gets paid only 20%, 6M$.

He is who he is!

I completely agree with Stephen A

It’s part of his plan of (1) sign a max contract, (2) force a trade out of philly, (3) force a trade to the west coast. His original plan was to get a supermax, but he got edged out for defensive player of the year. His ideal scenario would’ve been to end up in LA last summer.

One of the biggest ways to address players missing games, whether for injuries or sitting out for rest, is to make their STATISTICAL AVERAGES be based on 82 games, not on the actual number of games that they play. So for example...when you are determining who will win MVP based on their stats, a guy who plays 70 games and scores a total of 1,890 pts, would average 27 pts per game if the average was based on him playing in 70 games...but that average comes down to 23.4, if it is based on him playing in 82 games. Now, take a guy who scores 1,920 pts playing in 80 games...if it is based on him playing in 80 games, his average would be 24 pts per game...if it is based on him playing in 82 games, his average is 23.4 pts per game. His average only drops by a small fraction compared to the guy who missed 12 games and if we are looking at the conversation for MVP, the guy who averages 24 pts per game, would be in the discussion for MVP just as the guy who averages 27 pts per game when he plays, simply because the 24 pts per game guy, is more RELIABLE to play in games...THAT SHOULD BE REWARDED...THE GUYS WHO SHOW UP ON GAME DAY READY TO PLAY, SHOULD BE REWARDED FOR THAT. Make all the statistical averages be based on playing 82 games, not on how many games you actually play in. Just this small change alone, would force most players to want to play, if they want to be eligible for various AWARDS and for INCENTIVE MONEYS that require you to meet certain statiscal goals.

Steaven a is absolutely right

At this point Kyrie and Ben Simmons are the same person

Ben Simmons need to be treated harsher than how the league treated Carmelo Anthony. That's a fact.

If Brooklyn would’ve won game 3 and they were 2-1 heading into game 4, Ben Simmons would’ve played.

If you put some evil Disney music behind SAS this video would be perfect lol

The owners are coming is the new winter is coming 😂😂😂😂😂

Clutch Sports👏🏾

I already was thinking the owners was going to make the players play for sitting out idk how but it’s gotta be something

As an employee, you don’t take a full year off and ask to get paid.

Look at what kd did against the raptors in the finals

I would not trust Ben Simmons to make my team better, or even to take a basketball court again at this point, but it's some real shenanigans to say he quit on Philly. His coach and the leader of the team both called him out after that series in a way that made it clear they didn't want anything to do with him. You can say that maybe dude has some personality issue that made them dislike him, but you can't just say "he quit on them" like they had his back. There is a way you call a teammate out or a player on your team when you want him to do better, and it ain't saying stuff that amounts to "I don't know if we can ever win with this guy" about a guy his 4th year in the league and your first year coaching him.

This is absolutely untrue. Ben Simmons is extremely reliable in summer workout and beach videos.

The bag is way different than in the 80s and 90s

With Cavs missing playoffs the Nets need to trade Simmons & those 2 Philly 1st for Levert & Jarret Allen. Nets made a hug mistake

Kyrie and Simmons on the same team is the worst combination of players you can have cause they’re not willing to lace up every night, and that hurts chemistry in the long run

Reminding of me kobe shouting left handed while having an injury

I'm with Stephen A, CBA needs to be fixed to make sure what we saw this season doesn't happen again. Things like 5 years, fully guaranteed contracts will probably be a thing of the past soon. All future players can point to this season to understand why they're getting paid or not paid.

The "Simmons-Irving Rule" is coming. 😁

SAS is right on this one.

Even if he's injured, he should have at least helped the team in their defense.

I Haate SAS, but hes right on on this one. Show up to work, or don't get that sweet bag of cash. No other industry works this way

Ben Simmons is finessing the NBA

During the next CBA meeting the owners better demand that players provide all medical records since college playing days, professional opinions from 3 independent physicians for official diagnosis and estimated time of recovery, and an aggressive rehabilitation/workout program to get the player back on the court as soon as possible. They need to stop pampering these superstar players and make them earn their oversized paychecks cause this is totally ridiculous how they are gaming the system.

Can someone find Bens heart and give it back to him ? Dude doesn’t see his guys getting outplayed and he’s just sitting there watching? How could you not feel cringey knowing you could possibly make a difference but just elect not to? He doesn’t even have to shoot; just be a new defensive body on Tatum and Brown…for 10 minutes. Approximately 2-3 minutes per quarter. But nah. I really thought dude would show up for game 4

Did he actually believe a guy who hasn’t played all season would come back in a close out game in the playoffs with no on court conditioning….

Even AD returned last year in the playoffs

Pendulum swings.... There's a Grant Hill and Penny Hardaway story for every Ben Simmons

Jay Will is actually really smart

He also quit on Australia which Bogut has confirmed

It’s crazy to think that Ben Simmons reputation will never be the same after this unless he wins a championship

If his back is that bad you would see it within 2 mins on the court and you pull him and say "at least he gave it a go"

ben simmons not shooting conflict is already backfiring to him

2:18 the only problem with this thinking, is that if you play trash while hurt teams will use that to not pay come contract time. Ask Baker Mayfield.

Even cashnasty wouldn’t be able to pull off such a finesse move as Simmons

he been 2 places 😭

Ben Simmons now targeting Game 7 or Game 8. Details to come.

So disrespectful that great players paved the way for these guys to get the type of money they get and Ben Simmons is messing it up for the rest of the league .

The way the Celtics are playing right now reminds of the 90s NBA with their defense. Thats why till this day the 90s was the golden era of the NBA for me. During that era even the worst teams had gladiators playing basketball, not these diva's nowadays...dressed up like walking Skittles..

Stephen doesn't miss a chance to nuthug the owners

I'm gonna say this he doesn't want to play because he doesn't want to get blamed for them losing tonight he is under pressure n if he plays and the lose its gonna be directed his way.

I see the NBA changing the rules. They’d probably do a play for play rule.

This guy is the Elizabeth Holmes of basketball.

He’s been sitting for 11 months! How is he not ready?

Wondering which players he’s talking about at the end… Ben, Kyrie, Kawhi?, who else has missed a bunch of games for questionable injury reasons? AD?

Stephen A is 100 percent right on this one. These premadonas only care about collecting paychecks than making the NBA must see tv today. Reason why college basketball is better. The money isnt the top priority its making the league. When you make it to the league the competitive drive go's away and all they care about is there bag. I wish I was around to watch the NBA in the 80s, 90s, and even the early 2000s when players had more of a competitve drive

Stephen A. has been saying the owners will use this against the players come cba time. It could get ugly.

This actually may be a good argument to allow high school and college players to make money off of their likeness and for playing the sport, cause some of these dudes may feel like they worked hard from since their dad had them running drills in the driveway, from youth basketball, to varsity, to college, and now that they made it to them NBA it’s like F that, I made it, I don’t have to work hard anymore… they need to see that this is part of it all

If Ben Simmons got hurt during last year playoffs then I would understand the back injuries. But didn’t he come out and say because of mental health he’s going to take a break from the game? So now since being traded to the Nets it’s been the back injury of why he not playing. He was better off just sticking with the mental health! We all would be accept that. At least it’s honest. At least he had the courage to acknowledge a weakness. We all identify and relate to that!

When it’s the organization do something f up “it’s a business” when it’s the players it’s character assassination smh

100 million only goes so far.

Stephen A hit the nail on the head btw how players approach the league now vs what it used to be. Crazy that they are being paid at an all time high when players of yest weren’t making near that much and would show up every game. The number of televised big games this year that I tuned into this year and u had literally 1-2 stars on both teams out was absolutely ridiculous. So many games I didn’t watch this year cuz of that. I love the NBA but this year was especially terrible as a fan