The fan practice is a wonderful occasion to get your most die-hard supporters close to the action. An opportunity to start feeling hyped for a new season, and the promises it holds. A chance to see Ben Simmons horrendously airball an uncontested shot with nobody near him while people are stunned it’s even possible for a professional player to achieve such a goal.
Ben Simmons tried a stepback at Nets’ fan practice and it went ... poorly
Not like this Ben, not like this.
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
This is such a work of art. You see the thumbnail and say to yourself “What are KD and Kyrie saying to each other?, “What are T.J. Warren and Royce O’Neil laughing about?” That seems to be the subject of this video on first glance, then BOOM it’s a hidden Ben Simmons flying in from the left to airball a step back using a followthrough that looks like an arthritic knuckleballer who had to leave his team in 1917 to go off to the great war.
For what it’s worth, I tend to think everyone is a little too harsh on Simmons’ shooting. Sure, it’s terrible — but that was never what made him a good player. A good shot would have turned him into a bonafide superstar, but at this point that’s kind of like hoping Reeces will use high-quality Belgian chocolate instead of its Hersey’s cocoa wax — it would vastly improve a good experience, but it ain’t gonna happen.
That said, there is such a thing as inviting criticism. You absolutely do not attempt any kind of open shot at a fan practice without knowing 100 percent you’re at least hitting iron. Not with the stakes of a shot like this, not with the understanding that an airball will go viral. Credit to Simmons for the confidence, I guess — but man this is just sad.
This clip will live in infamy forever, and I’m happy we have it because this is the kind of distilled hilarity I need in my life.
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