There are few things in professional sports more difficult than trying to reclaim a career that has already begun to move on without you. For Ben Simmons, the opportunity to start again with the Kings was supposed to be a chance to simplify the story. After years of injuries, interrupted seasons, and questions about his place in the National Basketball Association (NBA), he had found a new team willing to give him another chance. Then, just as the 2026-27 season was about to begin, he tore his right Achilles tendon in practice. The injury is expected to keep him out for the entire season, and then who knows how long for another rehabilitation process and, yes, another reminder that the road back to professional basketball rarely follows a convenient schedule.
The setback is especially difficult to reconcile given the player Simmons had once been. Selected first overall in the 2016 draft, he arrived in Philadelphia with the credentials of a franchise cornerstone. He won Rookie of the Year, made three consecutive All-Star teams, and established himself as an unusually versatile vital cog who could rebound, defend multiple positions, and create opportunities for teammates. At best, he offered significant value in modern basketball: one whose influence extended well beyond scoring. His size, court vision, and defensive instincts allowed him to affect games in several ways. Unfortunately, his career then became defined by the distance between his potential and what he could deliver with consistency. Injuries interrupted his development, while the scrutiny accompanying his offensive limitations made every subsequent absence more consequential.
The circumstances surrounding Simmons’ departure from the Sixers also complicate the legacy he is trying to rebuild. His final season in red, white, and blue became a prolonged dispute that eventually led to a transfer to the Nets in 2022. The move was expected to provide a fresh start, but back problems prevented him from establishing the continuity necessary for him to regain his earlier form. Subsequent appearances with the Clippers offered glimpses of what he could still be, but they did not produce a sustained return to prominence. He did not play in the 2025-26 season, spending the time rehabilitating from back and leg problems before the Kings signed him to a one-year contract. For them, the arrangement carried relatively little financial risk. For him, it was much more personal: a chance to demonstrate that he could still contribute meaningfully in the league.
To be sure, Simmons was not being asked to display flashes of his former All-Star self overnight. The Kings needed versatility, playmaking, and experience, particularly in the backcourt. A successful return would not have required him to become the primary offensive option. Instead, it would have had him establishing a dependable role, staying healthy, and using his strengths to make those around him better. Which, while a more modest proposition than the expectations attached to a first overall pick, is nonetheless a legitimate way for an experienced professional to resurrect an otherwise failed career.
Needless to say, the injury eliminates the immediate opportunity and leaves the Kings looking for alternatives before the season has even begun. More importantly, it postpones the answer to a question that has followed Simmons for years: How much basketball does he still have left to give? There is a temptation to interpret every comeback through the language of redemption, as if perseverance must eventually produce a triumphant ending. Sports do not offer any guarantee. Rehabilitation can restore physical capacity, but it cannot promise another full season, a starting position, or a return to an earlier level of performance.
Simmons deserves to be evaluated fairly for what he has accomplished, not just for the expectations he failed to fulfill. Accordingly, his latest setback should not be mistaken for a final verdict on his career. That said, time matters, especially for an athlete whose development has repeatedly been interrupted. His challenge now is to determine whether another version of himself can still find a place in the NBA. The next chapter remains unwritten. For now, the most difficult part of his comeback is that he must begin again.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.