Shaquille O’Neal Reveals His True Feelings On Ben Simmons

Shaquille O’Neal has been very outspoken about his thoughts on Ben Simmons.

Back when the All-Star point guard was still with the Philadelphia 76ers, Shaq called him “soft” and a “crybaby” for the way he handled his conflict with the organization. 

Simmons apparently DM’d Shaq to confront him about these comments 

Simmons never provided much detail on why he didn’t suit up for the entirety of the 2021-22 season. He cited mental health issues as his reason for requesting a trade away from the Philly organization. When he finally got his way and received a trade to Brooklyn, he was sidelined for the remainder of the year with back injury issues.

Shaq says this lack of clarity on Simmons’ situation has led to much of the criticism pointed in his direction.

“When you leave people room to speculate, everyone’s going to make their own speculation,” he said during a recent interview with Bleacher Reports’ Taylor Rooks.

“If I said something that was hurtful, maybe he should call me,” he added. 

Simmons, an LSU basketball alum like Shaq, underwent successful back surgery after the Nets were eliminated in the first round of the postseason.