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NBA Star Ben Simmons Makes Feelings Clear on Injuries

Los Angeles Clippers guard Ben Simmons sets the record straight on battles with injuries

Liam Willerup

Feb 23, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; LA Clippers guard Ben Simmons (25) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Feb 23, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; LA Clippers guard Ben Simmons (25) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) defends in the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
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After sitting out a year, it was clear that then Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons was going to be special after his Rookie of the Year campaign. That was the case over the next three seasons, earning three-straight All-Star selections and becoming one of the top point forwards in the NBA. However, his career took a turn for the worse.

Simmons went on to deal with injuries in Philadephia, which continued to linger on after he was moved to Brooklyn for James Harden. Now in Los Angeles with the Clippers, Simmons looks to turn over a new leaf and get back to playing basketball again. In an exclusive interview with ClutchPoints' Tomer Azarly, Simmons shared the truth about his battles.

“It’s … It's draining, to be honest with you,” Simmons told Azarly. “It's not fun. Because at the end of the day, we sacrifice. So for me, I'm sacrificing my summer in terms of how I’m doing things, what I'm doing, where I'm living, everything. It comes down to just getting healthy and what's best for me in terms of staying healthy and getting my body in the right place."

Simmons has frequented the University of Miami's facilities over the past two summers to improve his health, as he hasn't played over 50 games in a season since the 2020-21 campaign.

"It's not fun, but it's part of the job, too, so being in a situation like that, it's super frustrating, but you have to have the right people around you and know what the goal is," Simmons added. "I feel like I did that last summer, and it's put me in a good place.”

Simmons also recently shared that he plans to participate in the 2028 LA Olympics with Team Australia, as he would be a major addition alongside the likes of Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey and Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels.

Clippers guard Ben Simmon
Feb 23, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; LA Clippers guard Ben Simmons (25) dribbles the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

“People don't understand. It’s … It’s everything," Simmons also told Azarly. "It's your recovery, it's the strength work you're doing, it's the mobility work you do, and then oftentimes, you have injuries that affects other parts of your body where you're compensating more, so it's staying on top of everything in terms of your legs, your hips, your back, your knees."

Entering this season, Simmons has appeared in just 332 of a possible 656 games for his career. He's made just 40 appearances this season between Brooklyn and Los Angeles, missing a total of 28 games this year.

"Everything plays a role in it. And it's draining," Simmons added. "It's fatiguing. It's all of those things, but it comes with it. Once you see it paying off in terms of your movement or your strength and things like that, it helps, but it's tough. It's not easy. I never want to see anybody go through that, but it's a part of the game. I've done it before, and I continue to push through what I have to.”

Simmons appeared in just under 15 minutes of action during the Clippers' 35-point win over the Charlotte Hornets and will look to help the Clippers' defense on Tuesday when they face the East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers.

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Liam Willerup
LIAM WILLERUP

A 2024 graduate of the University of Miami, Liam spent several years covering the University’s football and basketball teams. An avid basketball fan, you can find Liam on X @theleftyliam where he’s constantly sharing his thoughtsg

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