‘Mr. Irrelevant’ Ben Simmons should act before he talks, claims Stephen A. Smith in WILD rant aimed at troubled Nets star

Stephen A. Smith went on a rant about Ben Simmons, suggesting that Simmons should back up his words with actions and dubbing him 'Mr. Irrelevant'.

‘Mr. Irrelevant’ Ben Simmons should act before he talks, claims Stephen A. Smith in WILD rant aimed at troubled Nets star

Ben Simmons (L- Twitter), Stephen A Smith (R- CNBC)

Ben Simmons has been struggling to get back on the court and find his rhythm since Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinal. He has dealt with mental health issues and also gone through back injuries, which have limited his physical capabilities that he used to dominate on the court during his time in Philadelphia.

Simmons sat out a whole year after Game 7 in 2021, as his play was criticized by then-coach Doc Rivers, due to which the Philadelphia 76ers were forced to trade him to the Brooklyn Nets. Many fans, analysts, and even players have been critical of Simmons for misusing player empowerment. After he recently made comments about returning to dominate next season, Stephen A. Smith had enough and, during a recent episode of his show, went off on Simmons.

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Stephen A. said that he is pretty pissed off at Simmons, even though he likes and understands what he has gone through the past two years. But what really pisses him off is that Simmons has just been talking a lot before doing anything because, for the last two years, he hasn’t played like he is supposed to, given the fact he has a massive contract in his name. Stephen A. called Simmons ‘Mr. Irrelevant,’ implying that for the past two years, he has just been talking, but everyone knows his words don’t hold any weight, and people consider him irrelevant.

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“I’m pretty pissed off at Ben Simmons right now,” said Smith. “I think Ben Simmons at this particular point is trifling as hell. And I say that respectfully because I like him. Last year, he came up to me and really opened up and expressed himself. And I really appreciated that. But I have a problem with him. He’s talking before he actually does. This brother has been the basketball version of Mr. Irrelevant for the last two years,” he added.

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What did Ben Simmons say that pissed off Stephen A. Smith?

What did Ben Simmons say that pissed off Stephen A.Smith?
Ben Simmons (L), Stephen A Smith (R)

During a recent interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Ben Simmons sat down to talk about his career as a whole. Simmons talked about his time in Philadelphia, the drama that took place in Philly, his mental health issues, and how he plans to come back stronger than ever now that he is completely healthy and ready to go.

Simmons made a lot of claims, like how if he played the version of him that was on the court for Brooklyn last year, he would destroy that version on the court. He also claimed that he is feeling better than ever, has strengthened his body, and expects to come back and dominate the league as he used to in his days with Philadelphia.

A lot of people, including Stephen A. Smith, don’t really buy what Simmons was saying in that interview, just based on the fact that he hasn’t played at the highest level for two years. The only reason he is still in the league is because of his huge contract that lasts for two more years and the potential he has to be an All-NBA caliber player. It would be up to Simmons next season to live up to his words and silence his critics with his play.

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