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Australian NBA star Ben Simmons has been branded the biggest disappointment the NBA has produced this century.
At 29, he's without a club and facing the prospect of his career ending far earlier than anyone expected.
NBA analyst Bill Simmons went as far as ranking him above every other draft bust from the past 25 years, calling his fall the most staggering of all.
It marks a brutal verdict on a former No.1 pick whose career collapsed after his infamous 2021 playoff meltdown against Atlanta.
'I made a list of the guys I was most disappointed by ... I think my number one most disappointing guy of the last 25 years is Ben Simmons,' he said on the Bill Simmons podcast.
'Because I think he was there [at the top] for like a year and a half.
Once hailed as Australia’s next NBA superstar, Ben Simmons now faces an abrupt career cliff at just twenty-nine
Ongoing back issues in Brooklyn restricted Simmons to ninety games, transforming a former All-Star into a medical mystery
NBA analyst Bill Simmons labeled him this century’s biggest NBA disappointment after a dramatic decline
'It was like I see the vision of Ben Simmons. I think he can be one of the 10 best guys in the league. It's right there.
'You kind of look like LeBron (James) sometimes when you have a head of steam downhill and defensively you might be one of the three best guys in the league and you are a foundation block of a team that could maybe win a title.
'And then in that Atlanta series, it just went sideways and I'm disappointed by it.
'He was third team All-NBA.'
Simmons' NBA journey began with massive expectations when he was chosen with the No.1 pick in the 2016 draft.
After missing his first season with a foot injury, he won Rookie of the Year in 2018 and was billed as the next superstar point forward.
Between 2018 and 2021 he made three All-Star Games, an All-NBA team, and two All-Defensive First Teams, becoming the core of Philadelphia's defence.
Even then, his reluctance to shoot jumpers and his struggles at the free-throw line created constant debate about his ceiling in the playoffs.
Everything changed after the 2021 Eastern Conference semi-finals against Atlanta, where he scored only three fourth-quarter field goals in seven games.
Once compared to LeBron James, Simmons now faces retirement speculation after turning down minimum-salary contracts
The Nets’ eventual buyout ended a costly stint where Simmons earned over one hundred million while barely playing
The defining moment came in Game 7 when he passed up an open dunk for a contested pass, later saying on a podcast that 'it happened so quick that you just make a read.'
After the loss, coach Doc Rivers was asked if Simmons could be the point guard on a championship team and replied, 'I don't know the answer to that right now.'
Joel Embiid added his own frustration, saying of the key play, 'We had an open shot and we made one free throw.'
Those comments deepened an already growing rift over his shooting, role, and accountability.
Simmons then refused to report to training camp, asked for a trade, and was fined repeatedly as he cited mental-health struggles and a lack of support from the organisation.
He said publicly that he 'wasn't in a place to play' and felt the team 'didn't do that' when it came to helping him.
Philadelphia eventually traded him to Brooklyn in 2022, but his Nets tenure was dominated by a herniated disc, nerve issues and repeated shutdowns.
Across three seasons in Brooklyn, he played just 90 games and his scoring dipped to single digits.
After Doc Rivers questioned his championship suitability, Simmons’ relationship with Philadelphia publicly fractured beyond repair
Simmons’ refusal to report to training camp triggered fines, trade demands, and a dramatic breakdown with the 76ers
Recurring back pain and limited availability turned him from a former All-NBA star into one of the league's biggest question marks.
By 2023 and 2024, analysts were treating him as a cautionary tale rather than a franchise centerpiece.
In early 2025 the Nets bought out the final year of his max contract, ending a stint where he earned more than $100million while rarely playing.
He briefly revived hopes with a minimum deal at the Los Angeles Clippers, showing flashes of defence and playmaking in a short run of games.
Before his debut he pushed back at critics, saying, 'I'm a competitor, I just want to compete… I don't know all the bulls*** that is said online.'
The Clippers let him walk in mid-2025 free agency, leaving him without a team for the current season.
At 29, he reportedly turned down at least one minimum offer and remains a free agent, insisting online that he isn't retired.
