Brandon Jackson

So before I start, I will just say this is going to be a form of therapy for me. And I’m not even sure I have a point to make, so I might just ramble a little. This is for myself, people who know me, and know my love for Ben Simmons, so if you don’t fall into that category, I’d stop reading now.

This post isn’t even really about him, it’s about me.

I’m hurt.

I’m so hurt.

That’s a full minute of straight buckets. Confidence. Swagger.

I don’t even know how we got to this point. Ben Simmons refused to take three point shots and for a while that was okay. I could rationalize that, and explain that. I could defend that. I could point to Giannis Antetokounmpo and say that’s what it looks like when you keep shooting jumpers and keep missing.

I could say he impacts the game in so many other ways, that it doesn’t matter that he won’t shoot. In fact, I literally did that a couple weeks ago. A friend texted me and I defended it. Because every now and then, you would wake up and see a box score and see 18/14/12 and a Sixers’ win. And those are the stat lines he is capable of every single night.

Until now. I will not speculate on an athlete’s mental health or anything of the sort, but I’ll talk about how I feel about their performance. I don’t know what happened to him or what’s going on, but it manifested at the worst time.

Refusing to go up for a dunk in a Game 7 in the playoffs in a one-score game as the second best player on a team with championship aspirations is just not something I can defend. I have a brand to uphold.

I am all about the athlete. I value and cherish the performances these athletes put on regardless if they win or not. I can appreciate Devin Booker scoring 70 in a loss. I can appreciate Anthony Edwards putting someone on a poster in a loss. Because these things are impressive.

I have a list of guys that can do impressive things that may not always get the credit they deserve, that I will ride for. I worship at the alter of Carmelo Anthony. Russell Westbrook. LaMelo Ball. Luka Doncic became a part of my list last year during the bubble. But I since I knew Carmelo’s career was winding down, I hitched my “favorite player” wagon to Ben Simmons. I needed him to be that guy to validate myself. I wanted him to make me right.

All those other guys don’t shy away from the big moments. They want the ball at all times. They want to shoot. But last night, my guy wanted no parts of that ball in his hands. It was tough to watch that fourth quarter. I had to watch Tobias Harris and Seth Curry do more for the team than my guy.

But when he threw that pass to Matisse Thybulle, I knew it was a wrap. For me.

Let me be clear. I know Ben will probably never see this, and if he does, he will not care. He’s a multi-millionaire. His family is generationally wealthy now because of him. He will most likely continue to make all-star teams and get max contracts. Because he’s special.

But I can’t go to bat for a guy that’s scared to shoot.

I hope you play for Australia in the Olympics and you prove the world wrong. I hope you come back next NBA season and you at least get back to doing what you were doing when you were all-NBA. I hope you get whatever accolades you want to accomplish.

But it’s been real.