Ben Simmons risking it all with Kendall Jenner
BEN Simmons’ clean image is at risk, with the good boy of Australian basketball heading down a dangerous path off the court and into the arms of a supermodel with a cursed family history, writes Dani Pogson.
Opinion
Don't miss out on the headlines from Opinion. Followed categories will be added to My News.
AUSTRALIA’S one true hope for NBA superstardom, Ben Simmons, is heading down a narrow and tricky path — dating a Kardashian.
Reports out of the US say the Melbourne-born basketballer is romantically linked with Kendall Jenner, and I’m not sure how to feel about it.
Jenner, 22, recently cut ties with Detroit Pistons player Blake Griffin after he was traded to Motor City, and last time I checked, Simmons was happily coupled with rising singer-songwriter Tinashe.
Look, I hate to give fuel to the ‘Kardashian curse’ hysteria, but fingers crossed “our Ben” doesn’t follow the lead of Lamar Odom, Tristan Thompson and Kris Humphries — three basketballers who haven’t been the same on and off the court after dating one of the Kardashian clan.
The 208cm point guard is just 21, and he’s already rinsing through high-profile girlfriends:
Instagram models Britney Renner and Dylan Gonzalez, Tinashe and now Kendall Jenner.
Instagram model Dylan Gonzalez even travelled to Melbourne to meet Simmons’ family.
So what happened to the AFL and rugby league loving kid who spent his childhood running after his five big brothers and sisters? Surely money and fame is the answer.
Simmons is already earning millions of dollars with the Philadelphia 76ers and he’s in for a LeBron James-style payday when his rookie contract comes to end — not to mention what a renewed Nike sponsorship would look like.
It’s fair for Aussies to be nervous — if this rumoured relationship ends up being Simmons’ downfall, we could see Andrew Gaze implode, and who wants that?
This was the start of something beautiful for Australia and we want you to be happy, Ben, but please, don’t become the Aussie Lamar.
BEN SIMMONS DATING KENDALL JENNER
Kendall Jenner is dating Philadelphia 76er Ben Simmons, multiple sources tell Page Six exclusively.
An insider familiar with the duo said the romance has been going on “for a few weeks.”
Another source told us the pair was spotted this week on a lunch date at the Beverly Hills Hotel. And a third source said that Jenner, 22, and Simmons, 21, were seen last week in Manhattan with a group of friends at the clubby Bowery restaurant Vandal.
“Security measures seemed to have been taken to ensure Kendall and Ben enjoyed their night hassle free,” said a witness. “They were smiling the night away with their friends.”
Supermodel and reality star Jenner is rebounding from another NBA star — former LA Clippers player Blake Griffin, who was traded to the Detroit Pistons. The pair was seen avoiding each other last month at music festival Coachella.
Jenner spent Memorial Day weekend taking sexy bikini pictures with her sister Kourtney Kardashian, but then met on Tuesday with the 6-foot-10 point guard Simmons.
On Monday, Simmons was seen arriving at LAX, and told TMZ he’d be up for playing with LeBron James amid rumours that King James could leave the Cavaliers after this season and move to Philly to join its burgeoning team of talented young stars.
When asked if he could play with James, Rookie of the Year candidate Simmons said, “There’s only one way to find out.”
Simmons was previously linked to singer Tinashe after a flirty interaction on social media.
Jenner, meanwhile, keeps her romances very private.
She allegedly also dated A$AP Rocky, and she addressed speculation in a recent Vogue article by saying, “I don’t think I have a bisexual or gay bone in my body, but I don’t know! Who knows?! I’m all down for experience — not against it whatsoever — but I’ve never been there before.”
Reps did not immediately get back to us to comment.