Receiving criticism is nothing new for Philadelphia 76ers No. 1 pick Ben Simmons, but the hate is still pilling on nearly a decade later.
NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal never minces words when it comes to hatred toward certain modern-day players, especially three-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. When O'Neal was asked by Complex to name his W.O.A.T. (worst player of all-time), he swiftly responded with Gobert, followed by a sounding off on the ex-Sixers guard.
"Ben Simmons is another bum, because you know why? I'm going to tell you why. If you sign a contract for 250, show me 250," O'Neal said. "There's a reason why I walk funny and why I can't turn my neck because I played for my 120, so you got guys like him that [expletive] the system over there making all this money and they can't [expletive] play, so I don't respect guys like that."
While O'Neal is making a bit of an exaggeration of Simmons' contract, the Sixers' front office did pay him a five-year, $170 million maximum contract extension in 2019. He is set to make roughly $40 million with the Brooklyn Nets this season.
"You know every time I make these comments people think I'm hating, but these are facts," O'Neal shared. "You got teachers, you got firefighters, you got doctors who have real jobs and don't get paid [expletive]."
At age 28, there's time for Simmons to prove the immense number of doubters wrong, but the odds are far from in his favor.
MORE 76ERS NEWS
76ers superstar blasts Anthony Edwards for disrespectful comment
