Nets' Simmons swipes past critics on social media

MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- Brooklyn Nets swingman Ben Simmons knows that disapproval is going to find him wherever helium goes. After years of dealing with verbal barbs from fans -- some successful idiosyncratic and connected societal media -- the 26-year-old understands that the benignant of ire helium faces comes with being 1 of the champion players successful the game.

But aft a video of Simmons shooting an airball during an lawsuit for fans successful a Brooklyn parkland connected Sunday went viral, the erstwhile All-Star had to chuckle erstwhile asked however helium blocks retired each the sound that seems to find him.

"It finds maine each the time," Simmons told ESPN anterior to Wednesday's preseason crippled against the Milwaukee Bucks. "And it doesn't f----- stop. Sometimes I'm adjacent sick of it, but past I'm like, 'Ok, I'm Ben Simmons, you know? It comes with being Ben Simmons close now.'

"Even the different time determination was a clip of maine airballing a changeable astatine the park. Meanwhile, similar 10 guys airballed aggregate shots. So it's similar radical volition find 1 clip and effort to marque it that everything -- similar Ben can't bash (this oregon that). Like travel connected man, you deliberation I'm conscionable airballing each shot? It's not true. But it comes with it, and you got to person pugnacious tegument and I recognize that, but nah, I can't instrumentality everything personally. It's societal media."

Simmons did not play past play aft requesting a commercialized from the Philadelphia 76ers portion citing intelligence wellness concerns. He was dealt to the Nets conscionable earlier past February's commercialized deadline, but ne'er played a crippled portion besides dealing with a backmost injury. While Simmons has been a people of disapproval successful the past fixed his play astatine times with the Sixers and his petition to get retired of Philadelphia, that disapproval has been amplified since helium has been disconnected an NBA level for astir a twelvemonth and a half.

From his vantage point, Simmons has a elemental mentation for wherefore helium feels helium deals with truthful overmuch outrage from fans.

"Because radical cognize what I tin do, what I'm susceptible of" Simmons said. "I judge that's what it is. Like if I was idiosyncratic that wasn't susceptible of doing definite things, I don't deliberation radical would beryllium connected my ass arsenic much. And I don't caput it due to the fact that it benignant of motivates maine successful a way. Obviously, sometimes it's a batch for anybody to woody with that, but I look astatine it a small spot similar a respect thing, successful a way.

"Because if that wasn't the lawsuit past I wouldn't person ... determination would beryllium nary upside to maine doing thing well. If I travel retired and play a large crippled past you can't accidental anything, you know? But it's a portion of it. That's wherefore it's benignant of chill being connected a squad with these 2 guys (Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving) due to the fact that they've been done antithetic things successful their careers, wherever they tin benignant of relate, due to the fact that their names always-- something's going connected with everybody's sanction here. I instrumentality it for what it is."

Simmons specifically praised the mode that some Durant and Irving person treated him since arriving successful Brooklyn -- but it was Irving, based connected his ain experiences with societal media, who offered Simmons immoderate proposal successful handling the latest viral video.

"I'm nary kid connected the Internet anymore," Irving told ESPN. "I grew up successful the Internet days, I deliberation you tin admit that of conscionable erstwhile exertion deed the roar and we didn't expect that societal media would instrumentality implicit the full full level ground of wherever we get everything. It is simply a one-place store wherever you are legitimately taking your eyes buying connected immoderate the algorithm throws your way. So, if we deliberation astir it connected that level, I deliberation the nerds tin admit that, however overmuch that changes america all.

"For him, he's grown up successful Australia, there's not overmuch of a -- I don't privation to disrespect his upbringing, but I don't cognize if there's a abstraction wherever there's a melting cookware afloat of diverseness and races coming unneurotic talking astir issues arsenic politics. And it's conscionable 1 satellite that you tin honestly accidental what you feel. And not each state has shared that aforesaid state truthful for maine telling him not lone conscionable 'F each of it,' but you got to beryllium capable to woody with it. You got to beryllium capable to look it."

Simmons, who really won the shooting game, "Knockout," against galore of his teammates astatine the aforesaid Sunday signifier for fans, said that helium had treatment with Irving astir the airball video anterior to Wednesday morning's workout.

"Me and Ky virtually were conscionable talking astir it earlier practice," Simmons said. "He's similar 'Why is everybody connected our heads?' But it comes with it. F---, we're absorbing radical I guess. Some guys you wouldn't speech astir due to the fact that you conscionable don't care."

For his part, Irving believes it's his relation arsenic a person of the squad to some enactment Simmons erstwhile helium can, but besides let him the abstraction to woody with things arsenic helium sees fit.

"I deliberation 1 of our top strengths arsenic a quality assemblage is humanizing each other's lives," Irving said. "He's a quality being truthful he's going to respond his way. And he's going to woody with things his mode and we person to grant and respect that, that's what radical with integrity do. Not everyone lives by those aforesaid motivation principles truthful yeah, arsenic a leader, I consciousness similar it's my work to support him, but I besides indispensable recognize helium has to spell done things connected his own.

"And erstwhile helium asks for help, conscionable beryllium determination for him. It's easier said than done. Help is precise cheap. It's free. You tin connection it to anybody -- truthful that's conscionable wherever I basal with it, brother."

As Simmons works to find his bushed again connected the level aft being distant for truthful long, helium does truthful feeling similar helium has the enactment from the Nets that helium needs successful bid to succeed.

"Definitely," Simmons said. "I got enactment from each these guys, the coaching staff, the organization, truthful it's up to maine to spell retired determination to bash my occupation present and work. But you know, Kev, Ky person been large to me. Royce (O'Neale) has been phenomenal. It feels similar home. It feels mean to beryllium present and travel to work. Besides that, we conscionable request to enactment that enactment successful and physique immoderate chemistry."