Stephen A. Smith knows how to piss off just about everyone, but over the weekend, that list grew to include Ben Simmons’ agent, Bernie Lee.
Lee blasted the ESPN host after Smith, during an appearance on “The OGs Show” podcast, said the only injury he ever questioned was that of Ben Simmons, and that “he’s lucky he’s not in jail for theft.”
The comments seemed to allude to the fact that Simmons has played just 57 games over parts of three seasons with the Nets since being acquired in the mega-money deal that sent James Harden to the 76ers in 2022, during which he has been paid $86.3 million.
Currently appearing on a podcast. Screenshot by X/@theOGsShow
“He doesn’t want to play. He doesn’t love the game. He doesn’t love the game,” Smith said on the show. “I’m not saying he wasn’t injured, but he just doesn’t have the love for the game. Remember, he wasn’t playing before he got hurt.”
“They pointed to mental health. You can’t ignore the importance of mental health. The reason I criticize mental health is because it never prevented him from making sure the check was in the account every two weeks. He never missed it once. … He always made sure the cash was there. But did he want to play? So, stop talking about him.”
Lee When asked for comment by NetsDaily In response to Smith’s comments, he fired back at the ESPN personality.
“Frankly,” Lee told the outlet, “I think Steven A is an idiot and I don’t think he’s still [sic] I thought I’d go on a TV show and sit in the audience while he works and give my opinion… but unfortunately it’s been cancelled.”
The joke was a dig at Smith’s previous show, “Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith,” which aired from August 2005 to January 2007.
Smith’s criticism of Simmons included calling him “that damn Ben Simmons,” calling the Nets star “his Zoolander ass” and questioning his motives for working out in Miami.
Simmons is set to make $40.3 million this season, the final year of his contract.
Lee previously told The Post’s Brian Lewis that Simmons is in “great shape” and is “focused on having the best year of his career, and I’m confident that once that happens, this uncertainty will go away quickly.”
in Interview with ESPN Last weekend, Nets general manager Sean Marks called this a “big year for Ben” and said, “Everybody is saying he’s in good shape and moving in the right direction.”
