Ben Simmons was put on a minutes restriction during the Brooklyn Nets’ season opener against the Atlanta Hawks due to his recent recovery from injury. Even with limited playing time, the 28-year-old recorded more points than he averaged last season. This slightly above-par outing led to trolls passing sarcastic comments on NBA Twitter.
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Soon even a rumor started circulating that Simmons had been asked for a drug test after the game. A post on X went viral claiming that the league conducted a drug test on the 6ft 10” player for his scoring “outburst”.
A lot of the 1.7 million viewers of the post believed that this report was legitimate, falling prey to satirical tweet.
NBA conducts drug test on Ben Simmons following 6 point outburst.
(Via @SharmsCharania) pic.twitter.com/NABDMVHTQT
— NBACentel (@TheNBACentel) October 24, 2024
@NBACentel has become widely infamous for replicating a popular media site – @NBACentral. Over the past few years, this account has duped several fans by providing fake news similar to the Simmons one.
No trusted source has reported anything about a drug test concerning Simmons. Hence, it is safe to say that this story is purely satirical, which ridicules Simmons’ low numbers.
Naysayers might bash the three-time All-Star for his performance on Wednesday night. But supporters who have been following his journey would be happy with the performance.
Simmons’ 6 points came at a high efficiency (75%). Additionally, his presence in the paint was valuable for the Nets. The two offensive rebounds that he grabbed led to second-chance points. The Aussie also took over the playmaking duties.
Fulfilling the role of a floor general, he recorded a team-high 8 assists. But his performance wasn’t as unbelievable for the league to drug test him.
There were a few major drawbacks in the Nets star’s game, such as his lack of intensity on the defensive end, constant turnovers, and unnecessary fouls. But overall, he had an encouraging game considering the magnitude of the injury he has come back from; he underwent surgery to fix the nerve issue in his lower back.
Simmons is far away from playing at the All-NBA level that he performed during the peak of his career. But he’s slowly trying to get back there.
