Ben Simmons: ‘I’ll do everything in my power to get back’

EL DORADO HILLS, Calif. — On Tuesday, Ben Simmons’ surgically repaired right Achilles tendon was protected in a walking boot as he moved around slowly on a knee scooter. Just a couple of weeks earlier, he appeared primed for a triumphant return to the NBA following stellar preseason play, but the cruel reality is the Sacramento Kings forward will now miss his second straight season and fourth overall.

Simmons could easily just walk away from the NBA, concentrate on the pro fishing franchise he owns and move back to his native Australia. But for the 30-year-old, the only option is getting back to the league.

“My mentality is that I’ll be back,” Simmons told Andscape from his home on Tuesday. “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.

“It felt like it was hours [down] on my knee that I was waiting [after the Achilles tear], but obviously it wasn’t that long. But I feel like in that moment I had to make a decision. … ‘Are you going to come back or let this hold you down?’

“For me, it was just choosing and making that decision to keep going and fighting. I felt there is no other option. For me, it was like, ‘Let’s go.’ Surgery and start the rehab process.”

Simmons is the focus of the ESPN E:60/Andscape documentary “Being Ben,” which debuted Oct. 18. It explores the rise and fall of the 2016 NBA draft’s No. 1 pick with the Philadelphia 76ers, his long history of injuries, his passion for fishing and ultimate return to the NBA with the Kings after a one-year layoff.

The three-time NBA All-Star played well in two preseason games earlier this month, averaging 10.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 17.5 minutes per game with Sacramento. Simmons was expected to be a starter and a captain for the Kings this season.

However, he tore his right Achilles tendon during a practice drill Oct. 18. The 6-foot-10, 245-pound former LSU standout had surgery Oct. 20 in New York City with Dr. Martin J. O’Malley, who also performed Simmons’ foot surgery during his rookie season in Philadelphia in 2016 and performed Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tendon surgery last year. E:60 filmed an epilogue Tuesday with Simmons to add to the end of “Being Ben” in the near future.

“I’m more than capable of playing in this league,” Simmons said. “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.”

Simmons has homes in Miami and New York City and hails from Melbourne, Australia.

But he will start his rehab in his new “home” of Sacramento with the aid of the Kings, who will be paying Simmons his entire $3 million salary for this season. He said Kings general manager Scott Perry, team owner Vivek Ranadivé, head coach Doug Christie and his teammates have all been supportive.

It is uncertain when Simmons will be healthy and comfortable enough to attend a Kings home game. However, he is excited about having the support of a team during his recovery this time around; he was a free agent during his time away from the NBA last season as he recovered from back and knee injuries.

Simmons said Kings forward Zach LaVine has already visited him since his injury, and other teammates are eager to stop by.

“Everybody has been amazing, from Scott to Vivek to Coach Christie and my teammates,” Simmons said. “Everybody in Sacramento has been amazing. They’ve shown a lot of support. That is the main thing, just showing that they’re there and they care. Everything else, I can deal with.

“[Sacramento] is home for me. This is where I’ve built a home now. And I have the support. So, it just makes the most sense [to rehabilitate in Sacramento].”

Though it was short-lived, Simmons certainly had his confidence and swagger back during his two preseason games. He was happy he played at a high level, similar to how he had performed during the stellar part of his career in Philadelphia.

Perhaps there was extra motivation, knowing the Kings were the only NBA team that watched him work out in Miami. The Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks were among the other teams that showed interest, but Sacramento was the only one that offered a contract.

Simmons told Andscape he engaged in some playful banter with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and star guard Stephen Curry during an Oct. 10 preseason game in San Francisco regarding the franchise passing on him.

The Warriors were interested in working out Simmons in San Francisco in August, but no contract was offered, a source told Andscape. That roster spot likely went to veteran forward Georges Niang instead. Before playing the Kings in the preseason game, Kerr said he was unaware of any interest in Simmons.

“I said something to Steve,” Simmons said. “I said, ‘Y’all didn’t want me?’ That was in the first quarter. And [Kerr] said, ‘I didn’t know if you were healthy.’ And I was like, ‘OK. That’s why you have people that do their job and go fly out and see.’ But it is what it is. That’s just me being competitive. It wasn’t personal.”

Also, Simmons recalled what he told Curry: “I probably just told Steph, ‘I told you. I’m ready.’ ”

Simmons last played in an NBA game April 29, 2025, as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers. It was Game 5 of a first-round playoff series loss to the Denver Nuggets. He says he will be “more than ready” next season, will “come back dominant” and hopes the Kings want him back.

Simmons said it would be deeply meaningful to play in an NBA game again.

“But I didn’t take anything for granted, even like showing up to practice or training camp,” Simmons said. “I was happy to embrace each of those things regardless of whether it was a real game, practice game or scrimmage with the team.”

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