Joe Ingles has provided insight into his fellow Australian star Ben Simmons after his devastating Achilles injury during a drill with the Sacramento Kings, days before the NBA regular season began.
Simmons missed the entire 2025-26 season due to injuries to his knee and back. Now, with his Achilles injury, Simmons has a long road back to the NBA.
Ingles, who now plays for Melbourne United in the NBL after having a tremendous 12-year NBA career, knows how difficult the journey can be when recovering from a major injury.
The NBA veteran has cautioned that Simmons is about to face an extremely difficult period away from the sport, both mentally and physically.
“It's f***ing miserable,” Ingles spoke to AAP.
“On the outside looking in it's like, ‘Cool, he's got money, he's got a great life.'
“But mentally and physically it's a very hard thing to get through any long-term injury in any sport.”
Ingles is all too familiar with serious injury setbacks and the frustrations that come with recovery. Ingles faced injuries throughout his NBA career; the 39-year-old tore his anterior cruciate ligament during his time with the Utah Jazz, bringing his time with the club to an end.
Ingles believes Simmons' financial security and achievements will do little to make the process smoother.
“When the thing that you love, and you have been passionate about, and you've sacrificed time away from your family and friends for gets ripped away from you, it's a tough thing,” Ingles said.
Simmons' NBA comeback was looking promising, and the Australian seemed to be building momentum towards his return after signing with the Sacramento Kings on a one-year deal in September.
The former number one overall draft pick gave some encouraging glimpses during the pre-season, including 14 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in his performance against the San Antonio Spurs.
However, his new injury has presented another setback for Simmons, who has already faced so many injury setbacks in his career.
Despite the setback, Ingles remains hopeful that Simmons can return to the level that made him an exciting young pick for the NBA.
“He put himself in a pretty good spot with how he was playing and how he was physically feeling, so I'm shattered for him,” Ingles said.
Simmons' injury timeline is uncertain for now, but Ingles believes that the opportunity for Simmons to play for the green and gold at the 2028 Olympic Games is a powerful motivation.
The Boomers are building towards the 2027 FIBA World Cup and the 2028 Olympic Games. Simmons could provide depth and another dimension to the Boomers roster if he can return to full health.
Ingles believes Simmons could show Australia's depth, and it could be an exciting combination with fellow Australian players such as Dyson Daniels, Josh Giddey and Jock Landale.
“It would be an awesome story,” Ingle said.
“There's a lot to go into it…so it's a tough question to answer just because of how far away it is and what he's got to go through from now until that day, but we all hope that he plays for the Boomers again.”
“You put him out there with Giddey and Dyson and next to Jock…with all these different line-ups you could have, it could be a pretty special group,” he said.
Simmons faces a long recovery and comes at a frustrating time for the Aussie; it casts doubt over his availability for Sacramento this season.
However, Ingles realistic message to Simmons can be used for motivation to get back onto the court in time for the 2028 Olympic Games.
Whether Simmons can make the goal of playing in the Olympics a reality, the 30-year-old begins another challenging chapter in his career.
