Ben Simmons will miss his second straight NBA season after he suffered a torn Achilles before ever taking the court for the Sacramento Kings in a regular-season game, but there is no shortage of self-confidence when it comes to his eventual return.
“I’m more than capable of playing in this league,” Simmons said, per Marc J. Spears of Andscape. “I’m built for this. I’m not a normal guy. I’m kind of like a unicorn in the sense of how I play the game. I’m not your typical player. I don’t know how to put it, but I feel like I’m a lot different than most.”
When he first entered the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2016 NBA draft, there was no doubting his “unicorn” status.
He is the size of a frontcourt player at 6’10” but brought a combination of skills to the league that included the ball-handling and facilitating of a point guard, the ability to get out in transition like a speedy wing, and the defensive versatility to defend across the positional spectrum.
Simmons’ resume during his first four seasons on the court for the Philadelphia 76ers included a Rookie of the Year, two All-Defensive First-Team selections, three All-Star nods and a spot on the 2019-20 All-NBA Third-Team.
Philadelphia seemed to have a foundational cornerstone to build around, but questions about his offensive game and lack of aggression when it came to shooting became an issue during the team’s 2021 second-round loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
He then missed the entire 2021-22 season and was not the same player for the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers.
The LSU product sat out the 2025-26 campaign but was set for a return to the Kings this season until he suffered the injury.
“My mentality is that I’ll be back,” Simmons said. “I’ll do everything in my power to get back, get healthy and be better than I was before. There is nothing but time and opportunity to do so. So, I’m going to attack it the way I am now.”