“Don’t Know if I Can Do This”: Ben Simmons Confesses Almost Quitting Basketball Last Year

It is hard to believe that Ben Simmons, the current version, is the same player who was once an All-NBA team member and runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year. At one point, Simmons was the face of the Sixers franchise and received comparisons to LeBron James and Magic Johnson. However, he is now a shell of the player he once was. Aside from the confidence issues, Simmons’ recovery from a back injury took a significant toll on his mental health, enough to make him question continuing his basketball career.

Simmons sat down with Cam Johnson and Tommy Alter for an exclusive episode of Young Man and the Three. During their conversation, the three-time All-Star became fully transparent regarding his hardships. He went on to reveal that he legitimately considered retirement last season. He said,

“There were times last summer where I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can do this, I might have to stop playing.'”

Simmons went through a whirlwind of emotions for three years. He went from one of the best players in the NBA to struggling to make simple movements. The 6-foot-10 guard revealed the frustrations of not being able to do basic exercises due to the lack of control of his body. The adjustment process was so difficult that he contemplated retirement.

Regardless of the tribulations he faced, Simmons didn’t quit and pressed on. There was one thing that prevented him from throwing the towel.

Ben Simmons’ reason for not giving up

It didn’t take an external figure to keep Simmons on the right track. Instead, his mindset kept him grounded and pushed him to overcome his situation. His competitive nature refused to back down, which in turn propelled him to recover from those significant back injuries.

“I can’t just stop,” Simmons said. “I’m not just going to stop. I want to compete. I’m a competitor. I like to play basketball, I like to win. That was my time to win. I had so many losses in the last two and a half years. I needed this one.”

Despite outside voices viewing success as Simmons’ production on the court, he contends that returning to the court is success in itself. However, he remains adamant about eventually returning to the caliber of player he was in the past.