Tracy McGrady Urged Shaquille O’Neal to Stop Comparing Himself to Ben Simmons

Published 02/19/2022, 8:30 AM EST

Ben Simmons had been on a hiatus this entire season as he had disagreements with his coach and teammates after their playoff exit last season. The Philadelphia 76ers had made the playoffs last season. However, they were eliminated by Atlanta Hawks, led by Trae Young.

Simmons was called out by their coach and other teammates after his below-average performance. Simmons was either denying to take open shots or was missing them and it looked like he had lost all his confidence with the basketball.

Consequently, he received a lot of hate from fans and spectators. He refused to play for the Sixers after this incident.

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A few months later, he cited mental health as one of the reasons he could not play. However, Shaquille O’Neal believes otherwise. Shaq dismissed his mental health claims in an episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq. He was engaged in conversation with NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady.

Shaquille O’Neal has himself received a lot of hate in his entire career. Mostly due to his poor shooting and free throw percentage. Therefore, Shaq knows what Simmons must have been going through. Shaq’s advice to Simmons is to just buck up, practice, and show up on the court.

Following this, Tracy McGrady replied to Shaq and said, “He’s not you, bro!!You mentally tough! God!”

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Ben Simmons last season

Ben Simmons has always shown great potential. He has been an up-and-coming player in the league. However, he doesn’t always perform due to his irregular shooting percentage. However, Ben Simmons was an unstoppable unit on the court for a period of time.

He handles the ball really well and is a great facilitator. He contributed to each and every game by way of assists. Moreover, he was important on the defensive end of the court. He had a huge impact on the Sixers franchise. He may not be the best of the best, however, he was pretty good.

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Simmons won the Rookie of the Year when he was drafted. His defensive abilities were given due credit as he was selected to two consecutive NBA All-Defensive teams. He is also a three-time All-Star.

Ben Simmons is a 6’11 point guard. He has a really athletic body, and he is not afraid to use it. He loves driving towards the rim like a tank and showcasing his dunking abilities. There is much hope for him on the Brooklyn Nets. However, he might take a few weeks to get hold of how the team functions.

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He will have to get a hold of their offensive and defensive plays. However, once he does that, there is a huge possibility that he will be a good addition to the duo of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

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Abhinav Bhalla is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. He is a 5th year law student and has had a passion for Basketball and NBA since his early childhood. He has competed at school, university and national levels himself, and has a deep analytical appreciation for the sport.

Tracy McGrady Urged Shaquille O’Neal to Stop Comparing Himself to Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons last season

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