Source :- PERTH NOW NEWS
Former NBA star Joe Ingles has warned Ben Simmons is in for a “f***ing miserable” time on the sidelines, but is adamant his fellow Australian is capable of returning to the top level.
And the five-time Olympian believes role in the Boomers’ medal bid at the 2028 Los Angeles Games could be used a carrot for Simmons as he embarks on another lengthy rehabilitation process.
Simmons’ latest comeback attempt with the Sacramento Kings was dashed when he tore an Achilles tendon in a practice drill just days out from the new NBA season.
The 30-year-old requires surgery and faces a long road back, having sat out all of last season recovering from separate back and knee injuries.
“It’s really disappointing. It’s sad for him, sad for Australian basketball and sad for the NBA,” Ingles told AAP.
“He’d put himself in a position to get back out there, and obviously had spent time on his body and had his mind right with what he wanted to do.
“He put his chips on the table … but you’re not guaranteed anything in the NBA.
“He put himself in a pretty good spot with how he was playing and how he was physically feeling, so I’m shattered for him.”
The latest injury setback continues a rough few years for the Melbourne-born former No.1 NBA draft pick, who was named Rookie of the Year and a three-time All-Star before his career went off the rails.
Simmons sat out the entire 2021/22 season while dealing with mental health concerns and physical injuries, and has not been the same since then.
Ingles endured his own injury battles over more than a decade in the NBA, most notably a torn anterior cruciate ligament that ended his successful stint with the Utah Jazz.
The 39-year-old, who is now an ‘NBA on Prime’ ambassador and back playing in the NBL with Melbourne United, expects a tough rehabilitation battle for Simmons away from the limelight.
“It’s f***ing miserable,” Ingles said.
“On the outside looking in it’s like, ‘Cool, he’s got money, he’s got a great life.’ But mentally and physically it’s a very hard thing to get through any long-term injury in any sport.
“(It’s not like) because of what he’s done in his career, or what he’s earned, it just becomes easy all of a sudden.
“When the thing that you love, and you have been passionate about, and you’ve sacrificed time away from your family and friends for gets ripped away from you, it’s a tough thing.”
Ingles, who featured in the Boomers’ historic Tokyo Olympics bronze medal triumph, hopes Simmons can eventually return to the national team.
The Boomers are building towards next year’s FIBA World Cup and the LA Olympics, with NBA stars Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels and Jock Landale spearheading their medal push.
Ingles believes a fully-fit Simmons would be a valuable addition in LA.
“It would be an awesome story,” Ingles said.
“There’s a lot to go into it … so it’s a tough question to answer just because of how far away it is and what he’s got to go through from now until that day, but we all hope that he plays for the Boomers again.
“You put him out there with Giddey and Dyson and next to Jock … with all these different line-ups you could have, it could be a pretty special group.”
