Shaquille O’Neal SLAMS Ben Simmons and tells Nets star to ‘man up’ after he was ruled out for the rest of the season with more injury issues: ‘I wanna learn how you can make $80m and play 55 games’

Shaquille O’Neal criticized Ben Simmons as the Brooklyn Nets guard misses the rest of the NBA season with back problems.

Earlier this month, the 27-year-old was ruled out for the season due to a pinched nerve in his lower back. The Athletic also reported that Simmons was exploring treatment options for the injury.

On the latest episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq, the Hall of Famer didn’t hold back when co-host Adam Lefkoe asked him and Jamal Crawford which NBA player they would pay to watch.

“Ben Simmons because I would like to learn how you can make $80 million and play 55 games,” O’Neal quickly responded. ‘Teach me.’

“Show me how you can play 55 games in three seasons and make $30 million, $40 million, another $40 million just by saying your back hurts.”

“Get some Icy Hot, man,” O’Neal added.

Simmons appeared in 15 games for Brooklyn this season, with his last coming in a 111-86 win against the Memphis Grizzlies on February 26.

The former LSU Tiger’s back problems first came to light when he played for the Philadelphia 76ers. Aside from the point guard’s reported mental issues, the physical strain caused Simmons to miss the 2021-22 season.

Last season, Simmons played in 42 games with his lingering back and knee problems. Brooklyn finished sixth in the Eastern Conference before being swept by the 76ers in the first round of the playoffs.

Simmons, a former No. 1 pick, was an All-Star from 2019 to 2021 before his fallout with Philadelphia and his frustrating tenure in Brooklyn.

This season, Simmons averaged 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.7 assists on 58.1 percent shooting from the field. His team is 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 28-45 record at the end of the season.

O’Neal had previously criticized Simmons and labeled him a crybaby during his time in Philadelphia. The NBA Hall of Famer also considered Simmons to be Joel Embiid’s “soft partner.”

“The difference between him (Embiid) and his soft-spoken teammate is that he can take criticism without being a crybaby and still want to play,” O’Neal said on Inside the NBA.

“The other guy (Simmons), I don’t respect him and I’ve been thinking about it, he’s going to miss the whole season because they asked your coach a question: ‘Can we win with you?’ And your coach gave you a funny answer to tell you that in the summer you need to work on your game.