Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons won't play for Australia at the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, Australia head coach Brian Goorjian confirmed.
"I have spoken with Ben, and whilst we wanted him to be a part of our team, we understand and support his decision, and he has made it clear that this is something that he wants to be a part of in the future," Goorjian said, courtesy of Basketball Australia. "It is a pretty rough time for him right now, and I know it is something that he wanted to do, but the timing just hasn't worked."
Simmons told Goorjian he intends to spend the summer focusing on his skill development. The floor general struggled mightily on the offensive end throughout the playoffs, averaging just 11.9 points while connecting on only 34.2% of his free throws. It was previously reported Simmons was doubtful to play in Tokyo.
"The best thing for everybody right now is for him to go on and develop that skill package and improve in a couple of areas for his next season in the NBA, but the Boomers are always here for him," Goorjian added. "We wanted him to know that in his time of need, the culture and the guys here are behind him and support him."
The 12-man Australian men's basketball squad will be announced in early July.
