Ben Simmons spoke to the media for the first time in nearly eight months as a member of the Nets on Tuesday, after his contentious battle with the 76ers and a lengthy hiatus from the NBA due to mental health concerns.
After he was seen on the bench during Brooklyn‘s win over Sacramento on Monday following last week's trade between the Nets and the Sixers, Simmons stepped in front of a microphone and a room full of reporters for the first time since June 20, 2021 on Tuesday morning. The 25-year-old called the opportunity to join a star-studded Nets team, led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving a “blessing,” explaining that he's ready to move forward from the events of the last few months.
“For me the mental health has nothing to do with the trade. It was a bunch of things that I was dealing with as a person in my personal life that I don't really want to into depth about. But I‘m here now,“ Simmons said of joining the Nets. “It‘s a blessing to be in an organization like this and I'm just looking forward to getting back on the floor and building something great here.”
