Gary Payton is widely regarded as one of the greatest point guards to ever play in the NBA and he has now urged Australian star Ben Simmons to abandon any hope of playing in the Olympics to resurrect his flagging NBA career.
Payton, nicknamed ‘The Glove’ due to his defensive prowess, is in Australia to host the Gary Payton Block Party for NBA fans.
The star point guard was selected second overall by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1990 NBA draft and had a storied 17-year career with five teams, most notably with the SuperSonics.
Payton was a nine-time NBA All-Star, winning the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 1996 and earning a championship ring with the Miami Heat in 2006.
Over the course of his career, he accumulated 21,813 points, 5,269 rebounds and 8,966 assists, solidifying his legacy as one of the greatest point guards in NBA history and earning him a place in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Simmons has struggled to stay on the court throughout his career with a series of physical injuries and mental health battles.
NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton, who is in Sydney to meet fans at the Gary Payton Block Party in Manly, believes Simmons should forgo playing in the Olympics.
Simmons is injured again and will miss the rest of the NBA season, meaning he’s unlikely to play in Paris anyway.
On the other hand, Simmons’ NBA career has been significantly hampered by injuries since he was selected first overall in 2016, missing his entire rookie season due to a foot injury.
His health issues persisted with back and knee injuries resulting in significant absences, including missing the entire 2021-22 season and parts of other seasons.
Despite brief returns to form, recurring back problems have continued to plague Simmons, limiting his playing time and causing him to be suspended for the season several times, most recently in the 2023-24 season after playing only 15 games.
Australian Boomers head coach Brian Goorjian recently revealed that Simmons was preparing to play at the 2024 Paris Olympics before his latest injury setback.
Payton won an NBA championship with Miami and was nicknamed ‘The Glove’ for his defensive prowess.
Now Payton has said Simmons needs to abandon any hope of playing for the Boomers in France, even if he can make a miraculous recovery from the injury.
“What Ben needs to do is make a full recovery,” he said.
“He should not return until he is completely healthy because his athleticism and talent leave no doubt that he can play in the NBA.”
“I think he needs to work on the things he needs to work on.”
“I think he should skip the Olympics,” he said.
“I understand, everyone is pressuring him to play for his country.
But you have to understand that Ben has not been able to play a full season in the NBL in almost his entire career.
“I think he should focus on what his job is, and his job is in the NBA on the team he plays for now.”
“He has a lot of basketball ahead of him. There are going to be a couple more Olympic Games. He can do it another time.
Veteran Patty Mills likely to be Australia’s point guard again at Paris Olympics
OKC Thunder star Josh Giddey will also share point guard duties, giving the Boomers plenty of NBA experience in Paris.
Payton believes Simmons needs to exclude all outside influences to focus on his recovery and eventual return to the Nets.
“The most important thing for him is to stop paying attention to social media and all its criticism,” he said.
“Forget about the criticism, just play basketball and do what you need to do and you’ll be fine.”
“Once he comes back, prove that he can play in this league and prove that he’s the No. 1 overall pick (in the NBA draft) and I think he’ll be fine.”