Former All-NBA Star Talks About a Mid-Season Comeback

Ben Simmons hasn’t played a game of basketball this season for the first time since the 2021–22 season. The three-time All-Star has been away from the game trying to get his body and mind right. 

Simmons has had an up-and-down career. At one point, he was being hyped as the next Magic Johnson or LeBron James. Then injuries and mental blocks turned him into one of the biggest disappointments in the league. 

Now Simmons is without a team, and many are wondering if his NBA career is almost over. Simmons was recently asked if he plans on trying to make a comeback, and here is what he had to say: 

“I’m looking maybe halfway through this year, if not next season. It just depends how far I can come along in that next month or so. But I’m feeling great. I haven’t had any setbacks. I can’t play this game or give what I can if mentally and physically I’m not there. And the physical part is what it’s been for the last two years. I feel like I’m really turning a corner now, which has been a blessing because I don’t think people really understood the last couple of years for me. You really want to do something, your mind is there, but your body can’t physically do it, which is tough. It’s a frustrating thing to go through. But I’ve been through it before. It’s just staying steady and continuing to work, but I have to slow down. I feel like I’ve been through so much and experienced so much that I’m excited for the future and what that holds. I just feel like I’m always wanting to do more and more. And people don’t understand that because I don’t talk about it... But I’m always wanting to do more and just build and do things that I’m passionate about.”

It sounds like Simmons still believes he has some basketball left in him. The question is, does the rest of the league believe he can still play helpful NBA minutes? Over the next few months, we will get a clear picture of whether Simmons will be another player who wants to play in the NBA but can’t quite get over the hump or if he will continue his up-and-down career with a new team.