Ben Simmons has never shied away from his critical views on the NCAA.
In his 2016 documentary ‘One and Done’, Simmons described the NCAA as a “really f***ed up” organisation where “everybody’s making money except the players”.
The rising Australian star has since double down on his criticism of the controversial multi-billion dollar business.
In an interview released by Uninterrupted on Thursday, the former number one draft pick called the NCAA “sneaky” and “a dirty business”.
“It’s a dirty business… You have to put up with it, but at the same time it taught me a lot,” Simmons said. “I have an image and people use it, but now I have the opportunity to control that, what I do and who I work with. It helped me, but at the same time I felt it was very sneaky.”
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Simmons didn’t stop there, adding that he learnt more sitting on the NBA sidelines last season than he did during his entire time with Louisiana State University.
“I think I would have learned a lot more by being around professional athletes,” Simmons said. “Looking at it now, I don’t even know what I learned financially or just being a person at LSU. I think I’ve learned a lot more with this last year being in Philly and being a pro, than I did at LSU.”
Calling out the NCAA is nothing new.
But what makes Simmons’ voice stand out amid the chorus of criticism has been his willingness to do it during – and immediately after – his college career.