Nets' Ben Simmons Slammed For "Not Earning" His $177 Million Contract

• Ben Simmons tried to hype up the fans with summer workout training videos

• Stephen A. uses Twitter to expose Simmons as undeserving of his money

• Simmons expected to return to action this October after a long hiatus 

In accordance with his yearly tradition, former NBA All-Star Ben Simmons has posted a number of videos this offseason aimed at hyping up his return to the court. Already, several videos have surfaced of Simmons shooting jumpers and working on his game in the gym, but none of them have done much to turn the court of public opinion.

In fact, after seeing the latest round of Simmons propaganda online, famed ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith became the latest to call out the Nets' swingman and even suggested that he has yet to earn the past few years of his contract. “We know this much about Ben Simmons as well. The brother don't miss the checks. The checks keep coming in, no matter what. No matter what's going on mentally, physically, emotionally, the brother shows up to the bank to get his money. So at some point in time, he's gotta earn it," said Smith on Simmons.

Ben has only played in about 157 games over the past four seasons, and he fell down to 26 minutes per game this past season after averaging as high as 35+ in his glory days with the 76ers. He's also set to earn over $37 million with the Nets next season as part of a five-year $177 million extension he signed back in 2019.

"I'm sick of it. This is a great talent that is putting his talent to waste and nobody in their right mind would trust him, the only reason he's still in the NBA, literally, is because he got a guaranteed contract because he hasn't done a damn thing to earn it," continued Stephen A. "Ain't nobody asking you to go on the front lines in Ukraine against Russia, it's about playing basketball!"

According to Simmons, he's healthier than ever before entering this upcoming campaign, but it's nothing we haven't heard before and the critics are far from convinced.

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Can Simmons Have A Bounce Back Season?

On the surface, the Nets are cautiously optimistic about their future with Simmons, but there's still a long way to go before he can match his peak form. At his best, Ben was a Defensive Player of the Year candidate with great court vision, superior ball-handling, and unstoppable strength around the rim. Now, he's been reduced to a small rotation bench player after losing all confidence in his game.

For Simmons, who averaged 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game last season, the path to redemption begins with a total reconstruction of his approach and there's no telling for sure if he'll ever truly recover all the way.

But if the Nets can somehow unlock this guy, and plug him into a lineup with Mikal Bridges, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Nic Claxton, it could take them another step up the ladder in the East. Until they do, it'll be hard for anyone to see them as a serious contender.

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