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Ben Simmons has signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Sacramento Kings after spending a year away from basketball to heal a back issue. The 30-year-old Australian says he still loves the game and aims to dominate while eyeing the FIBA World Cup with the Boomers.
Ben Simmons has signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Sacramento Kings, returning to the NBA after a full year away from the game.
Ben Simmons Denies Quitting Claims
The 30-year-old Australian spoke at Kings media day, saying he is happy, healthy and ready to make a splash. Simmons said the year off was about healing his body, not about losing his love for basketball. He had been dealing with a back issue that plagued his game and drained the joy from playing. I think that was more so just my body, Simmons said.
It was not about if I wanted to play. All these people talk about, I do not love the game. That is bullshit. I love this game.
If I did not, I would not have taken that year to focus on myself and get back to where I am at, he said. I miss playing the game a lot. But when you are not physically right, it is hard to want to be out there and do what you love. Simmons said he is now free of limitations.
I am right where I need to be, he said. I took a lot of time to focus on my body over the season. I think it was the best thing I have done and decision I have made for my career. I am looking forward to getting going.
I feel great and I am ready to go. No limitations, so ready. The fact that I am healthy, and I am able to compete every day and play every day, I love it. Former NBA player Patrick Beverley recently claimed Simmons quit when things got hard and questioned his respect and love for the game.
Simmons was also asked whether the outside noise had worn him down over the years. It does at a point, but I think at this stage of my career and life, I am not worried about it, Simmons said. He added that basketball is in his blood and has been since he was a baby. You know, I get to come out here and be creative and play hard and compete against a numerous amount of talented guys, Simmons said.
From NBA Star to Injury Struggle
So for me, it is just, it is in my blood. I have been doing it since I was a baby. Simmons was the No. 1 overall pick and once touted as a future face of the NBA. Colin Cowherd famously said Simmons was ready to take over from LeBron James, joking that LeBron could go because we are all good here.
But his career stalled. Injuries limited his time on the court and prevented consistency. One of the biggest moments came in the 2021 playoffs, when he turned down a wide-open layup late in Game 7 against the Atlanta Hawks. That moment added to criticism about his confidence in shooting and scoring.
He eventually left Philadelphia and spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, missing the entire 2021-22 season. In his final NBA season before the year away, Simmons played 33 games for Brooklyn before joining the Los Angeles Clippers, where he played another 18 games. His five-year, $250 million deal expired after the 2024-25 season, and he was traded to Brooklyn then waived. Simmons has struggled with physical and mental health issues throughout his career.
He averaged 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game, but outside shooting was an issue. While away from the NBA, Simmons turned to fishing. He became the controlling operator of the South Florida Sails, a team in the Sport Fishing Championship, a professional offshore fishing league with tournaments across the United States and the Bahamas. He also impressed Australian Boomers coaches and players at an unofficial squad camp in Melbourne last month.
Simmons Eyes Australia World Cup Role
Sources close to the pass-first playmaker confirmed he is keen to represent Australia at the FIBA World Cup in Qatar next year. Fellow Australian Josh Giddey, the Chicago Bulls playmaker, said Simmons can be a force again. It was awesome to see him back fit and firing in Melbourne, Giddey said ahead of the Bulls media day.
He knows how much we want him to be a part of it, and I think it is an awesome place for him to rejuvenate his career and get back to where he belongs in the NBA, Giddey said. He looks good. He looks really healthy and fit. I am excited to watch him this year and see how he goes in Sacramento.
It shapes as a tough season for an undermanned Kings unit in a loaded Western Conference. But Simmons has a clear goal for his return. Every time I step on the floor, to dominate, he said. After a year away and plenty of outside noise throughout his career, Simmons now gets another opportunity to prove himself in Sacramento.
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theage:Ben Simmons is back in the NBA. One topic at media day had him swearing 
brisbanetimes:Ben Simmons is back in the NBA. One topic at media day had him swearingThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
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