Former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka bravely withdrew from the French Open due to mental health issues. The issue became headline-grabbing news and fans, as well as fellow athletes, came out in support of the Japanese star. Naomi is currently on a break from tennis after her US Open exit due to mental health concerns.

NBA star Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers is currently involved in a somewhat similar situation to Osaka.

NBA star decided to skip a match due to mental health problems

Recently, NBA star and Australian player, Ben Simmons, did not feature in the first match of the new season. He claimed that he was not ‘mentally’ ready to play the opening fixture for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Surprisingly, he hasn’t received a kind response from most of the fans. While some bashed him for missing the opening match, stating that he is afraid, others are making fun of him and calling him a coward on social media.

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Fans on Twitter call out double-standards in treatment; compare situation to Naomi Osaka

Unlike the situation with Naomi, most fans have been hostile towards Simmons because he decided to skip the match due to his mental health. However, there are others who believe that he should be given the same respect as Naomi received. As a result, renowned rapper Freddie Gibbs and many others came out in support of Simmons.

“All this Ben Simmons stuff just be jokes to me I don’t mean no harm. Fam might be really going through some shit for real. Gotta show fam the same love y’all showed Naomi Osaka,” tweeted Gibbs.

Just like Gibbs, many others also extended their support to the 25-year-old Australian.

Thus, several fans feel that instead of criticizing Simmons, it is important that they show their love to him. They also hope that he recovers soon and makes a comeback quickly.

Also Read: “He Should Meet You”: When Ellen DeGeneres Set Up Naomi Osaka With Michael B. Jordan