Credits: USA TODAY Sports

Ben Simmons‘ horrendous injury history has heavily hampered his stock as a player.

The Brooklyn Nets star, who was touted to be among a future MVP candidate not too long ago, has now lost all respect from the community.

Fans and analysts no longer sympathize with the guard but rather mock him. Among Simmons’ most notable critics is Shaquille O’Neal, who doesn’t let any opportunity to bash him slide, even using his downgrade on 2K to roast him.

A post on Instagram highlighted the guard’s stunning 21-point 2K rating drop from 87 in 2020 to 66 in the latest iteration.

O’Neal saw the post on his timeline and spotted an opportunity to mock the troubled Nets star. The Hall of Famer commented, “Should be lower.”

Most first-round draft picks are rated higher than Simmons is on NBA 2k25.

However, O’Neal believes the former All-Star is not worthy of being deemed as good as rookies.

The guard is a significantly better player than his 2k rating suggests. However, his lack of availability is the primary reason for his embarrassingly low rating.

O’Neal doesn’t believe the former Philadelphia 76ers star is a redeemable asset.

former MVP made it clear with his comment that he has no faith that Simmons would stay healthy and prove his critics wrong.

On the contrary, he is confident he’d remain unavailable for long stretches while getting paid millions.

Shaquille O’Neal wants to learn Ben Simmons’ Houdini act

O’Neal’s disdain for Simmons is deep-rooted. He can steer a conversation in a direction where he can eventually call out the Nets star even when discussing a serious topic. He showcased his innate ability to find a way to mock the guard during an episode of The Big Podcast with Shaq.

Co-host Adam Lefkoe asked O’Neal which NBA players excited him enough to make him want to buy a ticket to watch. He sarcastically responded,

“Ben Simmons, because I’d wanna learn how you can make $80 million and play 55 games… Teach me how you can f**king play 55 games in three season and get $30 million, $40 million and another $40 million just by saying your back hurt. Get some f**king icy hot. Man up.”  

The Hall of Famer is miffed with Simmons’ lengthy absences from seemingly innocuous injuries. The Nets star hasn’t responded to O’Neal’s jibes, but the four-time NBA champion won’t back down from calling the guard out until he proves him wrong.