{
  "id": 10551560,
  "title": "Sacramento Kings guard Ben Simmons addresses critics in expletive clip",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/sacramento-kings-guard-ben-simmons-addresses-critics-in-expletive-clip",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-28T22:44:09.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/sacramento-kings-guard-ben-simmons-224409755.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On Monday, September 28, the Sacramento Kings held their media day, generating excitement as they announced the signing of newly acquired forward-guard Ben Simmons. The 6-foot-10 combo guard had been subject to criticism from skeptics who doubted his commitment to the sport due to his prolonged absence from the game. Simmons had missed time during his career because of chronic back issues, leg injuries, and mental obstacles that have hindered his performance. In addition, he was sidelined for the entire 2025-26 season as he worked to recover from lingering injuries.\n\nSimmons seized the opportunity to address his detractors during the Kings' media day, dismissing the haters with an expletive-filled statement. \"I think that was more so just my body. It wasn't about if I wanted to play,\" he said. \"All these people talk about I don't love the game. That's (expletive), I love this game. If I didn't, I wouldn't have taken that year to focus on myself and get back to where I'm at.\" Simmons acknowledged that critics are merely seeking attention and clicks, and he is not concerned with their opinions. The Sacramento Kings have signed Simmons to bolster their defense, emphasizing his ability to play every position on the court, and his flexibility adds to the team's overall strength.",
  "summary": "New Sacramento Kings guard Ben Simmons addressed his critics who said he doesn't love the game of basketball.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Reporters caught on hot mic discussing Sacramento Kings’ attractiveness, personalities",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/reporters-caught-on-hot-mic-discussing-sacramento-kings",
        "published": "2026-09-28T22:45:06.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}