‘Time heals all back problems’: Ben Simmons roasted for Met Gala outfit

Ben Simmons is rarely seen on the basketball court these days and fans had a field day at the expense of the NBA star’s Met Gala outfit.

Oh boy. Ben Simmons has rocked up to The Met Gala wearing an outfit that has made him an instant meme.

This year’s official dress code was “The Garden of Time,” which celebrates the Costume Institute’s latest exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion.”

Inspired by J.G. Ballard’s short story of the same title, The Garden of Time is one of the more open-ended themes we’ve seen from the Gala in recent years.

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Simmons was invited to the Manhattan’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and embraced the theme in a Thom Brown designed outfit.

He sported a textured suit with a multi-coloured plaid pattern on the shoulders, with a white rose and green stem snaking down a long jacket.

Simmons accessorised the outfit with rose coloured glasses, an orange watch and the piece de resistance — a briefcase with a clock on the front.

Ben Simmons arrives at the Met Gala. (Photo by Angela WEISS / AFP)

The clock showed the time around 4:30 but it may as well have been a quarter to midnight, given Simmons’ professional basketball career is all but over.

The 27-year-old played just 15 out of a possible 82 games for the Brooklyn Nets this past NBA season.

He was shut down in March following back surgery after suffering a pinched nerve in his lower back, which also aggravated knee issues.

Ben Simmons came to serve looks. (Photo by Aliah Anderson/Getty Images)

Lewis Hamilton make the dash from Miami to New York. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue)

It’s safe to say basketball fans had a field day on social media poking fun at his Met Gala look, especially the heavy jacket and clock.

No Dunks podcaster J.E. Skeets wrote on X: “Time heals all back problems.”

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor joked: “Ben Simmons in mid-season form at Met Gala.”

The Barstool Sports account posted: “Ben Simmons spent more time on the Met Gala red carpet than the court this year.”

Complex Style tweeted: “Ben Simmons is playing no games. An early contender for best-dressed man at the 2024.”

Madeline Hill said: “The clock is counting the time since Ben Simmons was a basketball player.”

David Eickholt added: “Ben Simmons plays no games on or off the court.”

Also in attendance at the Met Gala was F1 driver Lewis Hamilton, fresh off a sixth place finish at the Miami Grand Prix.

This has been an all too common sight for basketball fans. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)

Simmons, who was born in Melbourne, has one year left on his lucrative NBA contract that will see him earn USD $40.3 million (AUD $60.8 million).

At this stage it’s highly unlikely Simmons will get another contract after his five-year $177 million deal comes to an end.

“All signs point towards him being available for the start of next season,” Brooklyn Nets general manager Sean Marks said recently.

“With Ben it’s very unfortunate, we looked like we were a completely different team when Ben was healthy out there. So it’s paramount that we get him back and we get him healthy.”

The Nets are in the NBA’s dreaded mid-table no man’s land and will field offers for defensive big man Nic Claxton in the off-season.

Simmons is eligible to play for Australia but he was not named in the initial 22-player Boomers squad for the Paris Olympics because of his ongoing injury.