Ben Simmons tells Patrick Beverley ‘I worked my ass off to be in the position’ following criticism

Ben Simmons is back in the NBA.

Not everyone thinks he deserves to be.

The former Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, and Los Angeles Clippers player, who missed all of last season while recovering from back issues, signed with the Sacramento Kings last week on a one-year, $3.5 million deal.

The No. 1 pick in the 2016 Draft, the three-time All-Star missed three full seasons due to injuries and mental health reasons and has been sidelined for over half of his 10 seasons in the league. He’s also become the poster child for unrealized potential, thanks in part to a history of mercurial, questionable decisions surrounding his recovery and game effort.

Reactions have been mixed over Simmons’ return to the league. Patrick Beverley is among those who don’t feel as though the former 76ers star should be allowed to come back so easily.

“I don’t think that it’s fair to quit the game of basketball and come back,” the former NBA player said on a recent episode of The Pat Bev Show. “You can quit with not having a ton of success. You can quit because the game is hard and it’s stressful, you’re not playing well, the fans are on you, and the media is on you … I’m not with quitting the game of basketball because it’s hard at the time.”

Those comments didn’t escape Simmons, who responded via an Instagram comment.

“Walk away??” wrote Simmons. “I played two years not physically right. This ain’t no hand out. I worked my a– off to be in the position. And I’m very grateful to even be in position to play the game I f–king love! Yall will continue to make up stories for your own benefits and that’s more telling about who yall are.”

Criticism is nothing new for Simmons, but now he’s got his chance to prove the critics wrong on the court. Instagram comments won’t get it done.