Simmons fires back after Pat Bev quitting accusation

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It seems more people care about Ben Simmons' return to the NBA than the experts make out.

First it was ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith saying Simmons should pay the Sacramento Kings to play for them - instead of the $3.5m deal the NBA franchise has signed him to - and now former NBA guard and outspoken personality Patrick Beverley has hit out at the three-time NBA All-Star.

Speaking on a recent Barstool Sports show, Beverley accused Simmons of quitting and believed other talents, who were out of the league, deserved a spot before the Melbourne-born product.

"First off, um, I don't like this at all. I don't like this at all," Beverley, who spent the last few seasons playing professionally in Europe, said.

"I don't think it's fair that you can quit the game of basketball and come back. Like, you can quit with not having a ton of success, right? You can quit because the game is hard and it's stressful, and you're not playing well, and the fans are on you, and the media is on you.

When we've been looking at Victor Oladipo, who's been competing, who's degraded himself, went to the D-League, right, or G-League. We got Gabe Vincent who don't have a job, right? We got Cam Thomas who don't have a job, who, like, putting in that work year after year, and, like, a guy can just quit and come back anytime.

“I don’t want y’all to be thinking I’m hating.

“So, congrats to Ben Simmons. You took someone’s roster spot who I think, you know, deserves it more than you, if we being totally transparent.”

But Simmons quickly fired back at Beverley on Instagram.

“Walk away…. ?? 😂😂😂 I played two years not physically,” he wrote.

“This ain’t no handout. I worked my a** off to be in this position… And I’m very grateful to be in position to play the game I fu**ing love! Y’all will continue to make up stories for your own benefits & that’s more telling about who you are 🤷‍♂️”

On a different note, four-time NBA champion Draymond Green said he was happy to see Simmons back in the NBA.

"Ben Simmons is a talent that doesn't grow on trees and that we don't get to see in the NBA every day," he said on The Draymond Green Show.

"Ben Simmons got off to a very promising start in his career then a lot of people tried to blame his game and not his injuries, it sucks that when guys get injuries, ultimately people start blaming them as a player.

"I know Ben Simmons was dealing with a back issue and I know most people don't understand what that means, but let me tell you as someone who's dealt with a back issue, it's debilitating.

"Most importantly, it's mentally draining.

"Now you couple that with all of the ridiculing that you receive, that comes your way due to the injury, and it's brutal so I felt for Ben Simmons and I'm happy to see him back in the NBA."