Ben Simmons is now a member of the Brooklyn Nets and, for the first time in months, he is speaking with the press.

Sitting down in a press conference, he touched upon a lot of things, such as the end of his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, the future of the Nets, and what he considers their chances for the rest of the season.

Surprising no one, Simmons’ press conference was a major point of interest for the NBA world and the opinions were very stark and intense.

For fans of the 76ers, there wasn’t much love for Simmons.

They said he was a poor sport and not a team player and, according to some, the same as he had always been.

Ben Simmons is still Ben Simmons. Same responses as past. Nothing has changed. Good luck, Brooklyn.

— Jon Johnson (@jonjohnsonwip) February 15, 2022

Simmons’ Mental Health

Perhaps the topic that drew the most attention during the press conference was his mental health.

As you’ll recall, Simmons and his team have claimed the star player has been battling mental health issues for the last few months and that was one of the reasons why he refused to play for Philly since the end of the last season.

However, some people are saying his claims aren’t holding up.

Stephen A. Smith spoke out on ESPN, seemingly poking a few holes in the idea that mental health struggles were the cause of Simmons’ request to be traded.

.@stephenasmith reacts to Ben Simmons' introductory Nets press conference. pic.twitter.com/nKh4Z238YZ

— First Take (@FirstTake) February 15, 2022

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Others came right out and said that it looks like Simmons doesn’t even have any mental health problems, seeing as he appears much happier than he claimed he was.

So much for Ben Simmons mental illness. Amazing how that was just fine once he got traded. Insulting to those that really suffer. pic.twitter.com/EpZDivvTIC

— Howard Eskin (@howardeskin) February 14, 2022

For his part, Simmons said that he’s doing much better because of his change of location and admits that he has had some “dark times” lately.

It is important to note that mental health issues don’t always manifest themselves as many assume they should and Simmons’ claims could be completely legitimate.

Ben Simmons addresses those that may be skeptical about his mental health:

"They should be happy I'm smiling. I've had some dark times over the last 6 months." pic.twitter.com/TSwwq6ucFo

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— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) February 15, 2022

Whatever was bothering him, he seems to be doing much better and ready to play.

And the media and NBA fans seem ready to pay close attention to what comes next.

The post NBA World Reacts To Ben Simmons’ Press Conference appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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