NBA star Ben Simmons reacts to superfan who had his face tattooed on him
Ben Simmons was stunned as he met a fan who tattooed the face of the Brooklyn Nets guard on his chest at a preseason game ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season.
Ahead of the clash with the Philadelphia 76ers at T-Mobile Arena on Monday night, Simmons stopped to sign autographs after completing his pregame workout. One particularly exuberant fan caught the Australian’s attention as he excitedly called for Simmons while donning his No. 10 Nets jersey.
The fan then showed off a tattoo of Simmons' face across his chest, leaving the three-time All-Star to ask if someone had a camera to capture the moment. While the fan asked him for his shirt, Simmons tossed his pre-game tee before heading back to the locker room.
Simmons is a controversial figure who has sparked plenty of debate since being selected first overall by Philadelphia in the 2016 NBA Draft. Riddled by injuries and depleted confidence, he was dealt to the Nets as part of the trade that helped the 76ers land former MVP James Harden.
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Simmons hasn't appeared in a regular-season game since 15 February and missed a significant chunk of the 2022-23 campaign because of a back injury. Since the start of 2021-22 campaign, the 27-year-old has missed 122 of 164 possible games.
However, he has appeared in every Nets preseason game so far, impressing against the Los Angeles Lakers and 76ers in particular. Facing his former team on Monday, Simmons tallied 8 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists in the 127-119 defeat.
Speaking last week after returning as the Nets suffered a 129-126 loss to the Lakers, Simmons spoke of his excitement to be back out on the floor. He said: “[It felt] amazing. That’s really it, just amazing. Happy to be out there, and compete, and feel good out there and able to contribute like I know how I can. So I felt great.
“It’s the best in two years for sure. Definitely.”
Ben Simmons was amazed by this fan's tattoo of the guard's face (@TheDunkCentral / Twitter)He added: “I was excited. So excited. Just blessed to be able to come out here and play at a high level. It’s exciting. I get to play in the NBA. It’s a great job.
“I’ve known how it felt for a while now and I’ve worked really hard to put myself in this position. So I know I’m ready. I know I’m more than ready to be here and able to compete and help this team win.”
The Nets will hope to get Simmons back to his old self to form an effective tandem alongside Mikal Bridges, who arrived in the Kevin Durant trade from the Phoenix Suns. Simmons missed the entire 2021-22 season with mental health woes and a bad back, having a microdiscectomy for a herniated L-4 disk on 5 May 2022.
He rushed back too early and averaged career lows of just 6.9 points, 6.3 boards and 6.1 assists in 42 ineffective appearances before being shut down. But now, a rejuvenated Simmons provides a welcome boost for the Nets on the eve of the new NBA season.
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