Stephen A. Smith knows how to ruffle the feathers of just about everyone, and over the weekend, that list grew to include Ben Simmons’ agent, Bernie Lee.
Lee took aim at the ESPN host after Smith said during an appearance on “The OGs Show” podcast that the only injury he has ever questioned was Ben Simmons’ and said “he’s lucky he’s not in prison for theft.”
The comment seemed to allude to the fact that Simmons has played in just 57 games in parts of three seasons with the Nets since he was acquired in a blockbuster deal that sent James Harden to the 76ers in 2022, collecting $86.3 million in that span.
during a podcast appearance. Screengrab via X/@theOGsShow
“He don’t want to play. He don’t love the game. He don’t love the game,” Smith said in the episode. “I’m not saying he wasn’t injured, but I’m talking about an absence of love for the game. Remember, he was missing games before he was injured.
“They pointed to mental health. We can’t dismiss the importance of mental health. The reason why I’m critical of it is because that never prevented you from making sure that check was in your account every two weeks. He never missed it. … He always made sure that cash was there. But he wanted to play? So, don’t get me started with him.”
When Lee was asked to comment by NetsDaily on Smith’s take, he fired back at the ESPN personality.
“Quite frankly,” Lee told the outlet. “I think Stephen A is an idiot and I only wish he still had he’s [sic] TV show so I could sit in his audience and voice my opinion to him while he attempted to do his job … alas … it got canceled.”
The quip was a dig at Smith’s former show “Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith,” which aired from Aug. 2005 and was canceled in Jan. 2007.
Among some of Smith’s critiques of Simmons, including calling him “that damn Ben Simmons” referring to the Nets star with the phrase “his Zoolander ass” and seeming to question the motives behind why he was training in Miami.
Simmons will make $40.3 million this season, which is the final year of his contract.
Lee had previously told The Post’s Brian Lewis that Simmons was in “a great place” and that he’s “focused on having the best year of his career and if he does I’m pretty sure all of that uncertainty will quickly disappear.”
In an interview with ESPN over the weekend, Nets general manager Sean Marks called this year a “big year for Ben” and said that “by all accounts, he feels good and is trending in the right direction.”
News Summary:
- Ben Simmons’ agent fires back at ‘idiot’ Stephen A. Smith
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