'Best course of action': Nets confirm Aussie Ben Simmons will undergo back surgery
Australian NBA star Ben Simmons will have an interrupted off-season after it was revealed on Thursday he will undergo back surgery.
Simmons, who failed to play a single game in the 2021-22 NBA season, fell just short of making an appearance with new team Brooklyn after back issues ended his hopes of featuring in the playoffs, with the Nets swept by Boston, 4-0.
The 25-year-old since early March has been dealing with a herniated disc in his back and will now require a microdiscectomy procedure, the Nets say.
READ MORE: 'The crazy tennis player' Nick Kyrgios had to bury
READ MORE: Paul Gallen reveals brutal toll of boxing career
READ MORE: 'Ridiculous' Champions League comeback stuns fans
"After consultation with multiple back specialists, it has been determined that the best course of action for Ben's long-term health is for him to undergo surgery," the Nets said in a statement.
Ben Simmons during a Brooklyn pre-game Nine
"The microdiscectomy procedure, scheduled for Thursday (Friday AEST), is designed to alleviate pain caused by the herniated disc in Ben's back. Further updates will be provided following the procedure."
According to leading NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski, the Nets are anticipating a three to four-month recovery period.
During the Nets' recent playoffs series with Boston, the team was optimistic that Simmons would be fit to play with multiple target dates set before he was ruled out of the contest shortly after Brooklyn's loss in game three.
Simmons' unavailability during the regular season and playoffs led to stinging criticism from many in the US media, including ESPN pundit Stephen A Smith, who blasted the Australian as \
"Nobody is worse than Ben Simmons," Smith said.
"Ben Simmons might also be the weakest, most pathetic excuse for a professional athlete we have ever seen; not just in American history, but the history of sports. I can't think of a professional athlete that has come across as more pathetic than this minute."
The Australian was traded to Brooklyn in February after a lengthy trade standoff with the 76ers.
In what's been viewed as the biggest trade of the season, the Nets received Simmons, three-point specialist Seth Curry, centre Andre Drummond and multiple first-round picks, while the 76ers acquired former MVP James Harden.
Simmons, a three-time NBA All-Star, will next season enter the third year of a five-year contract worth close to $240 million.
