‘F**k this dude’: Teammate breaks NBA code, trashes Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons is never going to win a popularity contest among his NBA peers after a former teammate broke ranks to dunk on him.

Throughout his NBA career, Ben Simmons has proven to be one of the NBA’s favourite punching bags.

After entering the league as the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and drawing comparisons to LeBron James, the 28-year-old Aussie has never been able to live up to the expectation.

He claimed rookie of the year in his debut season, but restless 76ers fans were increasingly frustrated by Simmons as the side couldn’t make it past the conference semi-finals.

But it was the flashpoint of the Game 7 loss to the Hawks in 2021 - when Simmons passed instead of talking an open dunk - that saw the Aussie eventually run out of town after he sat out the 2021-22 season until he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets.

Since then Simmons has never gone near recapturing the form that made him a three-time All-Star with injuries plaguing his time in Brooklyn.

The rare sight of Ben Simmons on court. Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Simmons jokes now regularly flood social media and talking heads everywhere are happy to bash him.

But for the first time a member of the NBA fraternity has broken the player code. Former 76ers teammate Georges Niang, who signed a two-year deal in Philly in 2021 and was excited to play with Simmons, has ripped in.

“I don’t want to beat a dead horse because I actually feel bad at this point, but the Ben Simmons thing, that pissed me off because guys are trying to make a living,” Niang said on the Road Trippin’ Podcast.

“I came from Utah, signed just a little over the minimum and I was like ‘This is perfect’. I’m a spot up shooter, this guy f**king drives the lane — everybody collapses, he kicks out — this is going to be great for my career.

“And then he was like, ‘I’m not playing’ and I’m like, ‘what the f*ck?’ This is before Tyrese Maxey (emerged as a star).

“So I’m like, ‘How the f**k am I going to make something happen?’

“And then he was walking around the facility, you know, and I was like ‘what’s up man?’ because they’re trying to (get the players to) welcome him back.

“And he’d be like (nods). And that’s when I was like ‘f**k this dude’. If I get an opportunity to play against this dude, I’m going to just be an a**hole.

“There’s etiquette, there’s like don’t do dumb s**t when you’re out there. I was like ‘f**k him’.”

Georges Niang has slammed Ben Simmons once again. Photo: Twitter

Ben Simmons’ Met Gala outfit was mocked. Photo by Aliah Anderson/Getty Images

It’s not uncommon for Simmons to cop it at this point with the Aussie an easy target.

The Aussie was trolled mercilessly after he appeared at the Met Gala despite having played just 15 out of a possible 82 games for the Nets this past NBA season.

Simmons was also not named in the Boomers’ initial 22-man squad for the Olympics due to his latest back injury.

Simmons had declared himself “all in” for an Olympic debut despite having not represented Australia since the 2013 Oceania Championship.

Originally published as ‘F**k this dude’: Teammate breaks NBA code, trashes Ben Simmons