Brooklyn Nets Star Ben Simmons Is On The Verge Of NBA History

Ben Simmons only needs one more triple-double to make NBA history.

Jan 17, 2023; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich speaks with Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) in the first half at the AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports / Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports

Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons has had a challenging past few seasons in the NBA.

After being one of the league's rising stars, he has only appeared in 57 games since the 2021 season.

This past year, Simmons averaged 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists per contest while shooting 58.1% from the field in 15 games.

"It's always a fastbreak when I have the ball." 🗣️

- Ben Simmons after his impressive return to action (10 PTS, 11 AST, 8 REB) pic.twitter.com/vFk2xnXTxX

— NBA (@NBA) January 30, 2024

Simmons was one of the best players in the NBA from 2019-21 when he made three straight All-Star Games with the Philadelphia 76ers.

He had a unique ability to stuff the stat sheet and was capable of a near triple-double every game.

Dec 22, 2018; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) looks on after a foul is called on the Toronto Raptors at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports / James Lang-USA TODAY Sports

Currently, Simmons has 33 triple-doubles, which is tied with Hall of Famer Bob Cousy for 14th place on the all-time list.

Therefore, the former LSU star only needs one triple-double to pass Cousy for sole possession of 14th.

Following Cousy, the next player for him to pass will be Fat Lever (43).

Dec 27, 2019; Orlando, Florida, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) drives to the basket against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports / Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Simmons does not get the respect from basketball fans that he once did, but he had been an outstanding player early in his career.

His career averages are 14.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 1.6 steals per contest while shooting 56.0% from the field in 332 regular season games.

He has also appeared in 34 NBA playoff games with the 76ers.

Ben Simmons showing off the handle ♨️

(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/c6yBj2bgct

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 13, 2022

As for the Nets, they had a tough season where they finished as the 12th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 32-50 record.

The franchise missed the NBA playoffs for the first time since the 2018 season.