Tyler Trumbauer
Ben Simmons was only a collegiate student-athlete for one year before jumping to the NBA and landing with the Philadelphia Sixers. However, he still didn’t have a good experience.
In Simmons’ documentary, he said academics are “pointless” and he blamed the NCAA for “wasting” his one year at LSU, according to a report, citing the Showtime documentary, which is set to air this Friday night.
Simmons said the following about the NCAA in the documentary.
“The NCAA is really f—ed up. Everybody’s making money except the players. We’re the ones waking up early as hell to be the best teams and do everything they want us to do and then the players get nothing. They say education, but if I’m there for a year, I can’t get much education.”
The documentary, which we detail here, focuses on Simmons talk about his college life and dealing with being a new NBA superstar. The Sixer said he had to avoid a lot of “temptations.”
Simmons’ mom, Julie Simmons, also chimed in about her unhappiness with the NCAA and the regulations.
“If you get a kid who’s a child prodigy and plays the violin amazingly, no one’s saying to them you must go to college for a year before you join the philharmonic orchestra.”
Simmons, who was interviewed during his time at LSU as well for this film, didn’t go to class often.
“[Coach] Jones said, ‘We need to make up a punishment if you miss another class. I missed my next class about preparing for better study habits. I’m going to the NBA next season. Why bull—- if it’s not going to help me?”
The hopeful Sixers franchise player says he is not done speaking out against the NCAA quite yet.
“The NCAA is messed up. I don’t have a voice. … I don’t get paid to do it. Don’t say I’m an amateur and make me take pictures and sign stuff and go make hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars off one person. … I’m going off on the NCAA. Just wait, just wait. I can be a voice for everybody in college. I’m here because I have to be here [at LSU]. … I can’t get a degree in two semesters, so it’s kind of pointless. I feel like I’m wasting time.”