Ben Simmons rips NCAA, 'pointless' academics in documentary
Don't ask 76er and former LSU star Ben Simmons about his feelings on college basketball.
In a documentary titled, "One and Done," Simmons' life is chronicled from growing up in Australia, to his journey across the pond for high school and then college basketball at LSU, before becoming the first overall pick by Philadelphia in the 2016 NBA draft.
"The NCAA is really f----d up," Simmons said, as recorded by Myron Medcalf of ESPN. "Everybody's making money except the players. We're the ones waking up early as hell to be the best teams and do everything they want us to do and then the players get nothing. They say education, but if I'm there for a year, I can't get much education."
Throughout the documentary, Simmons deals with trying to remain eligible by the NCAA's standards, by avoiding impermissible benefits before and during his time at LSU.
Something that wasn't a problem was class itself, because Simmons didn't attend once second semester began.
"I got Bs and Cs, I'm not going to class next semester because I don't need to," Simmons said. "... I'm here to play, I'm not here to go to school.
"(Coach) Jones said, 'We need to make up a punishment if you miss another class.' I missed my next class about preparing for better study habits. I'm going to the NBA next season. Why bull---- if it's not going to help me?"
Simmons averaged 19.2 points and 11.8 rebounds as a freshman, but was excluded from the Wooden Award's final list for Player of the Year due to his GPA being below 2.0.
During the film, Simmons also accused the NCAA of making money off him, and he plans to become a voice for college athletes now that he's moved to the NBA.
"The NCAA is messed up," Simmons said. "I don't have a voice. ... I don't get paid to do it. Don't say I'm an amateur and make me take pictures and sign stuff and go make hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars off one person. ... I'm going off on the NCAA. Just wait, just wait. I can be a voice for everybody in college. I'm here because I have to be here (at LSU). ... I can't get a degree in two semesters, so it's kind of pointless. I feel like I'm wasting time."