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While the Super Bowl is one of the biggest television events in the United States every year, the star-studded halftime show is often what gets the most online attention.
In 2023, Rihanna returned to the stage for the first time in more than five years to perform at Super Bowl LVII at Glendale, Ariz.’s State Farm Stadium, and the hype surrounding the performance led to a history making accomplishment. With 121.017 million viewers, RiRi’s performance narrowly surpassed Katy Perry’s 2015 performance as the most-watched halftime show of all time.
Rihanna’s achievement comes after Nielsen revised this year’s original 118.7 million viewers “after a review that revealed encoding irregularities as well as issues with out-of-home measurement,” according to the Associated Press. (The revised report regarding the Super Bowl LVII game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles also made this year’s football match the most-watched Super Bowl in history with 115.1 million viewers.)
Over the years, a number of stars have passed the 100 million viewership mark, stretching all the way back to Black Eyed Peas’ 2011 performance. From Rihanna and Beyoncé to Bruno Mars and Justin Timberlake, see below for the Super Bowl halftime shows with the all-time most viewership.
Jennifer Lopez & Shakira
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Total viewers: 104 million
Two female Latin powerhouses took the Super Bowl LIV stage in 2020, as Jennifer Lopez and Shakira traded off performing their hits, like Lopez’s “Jenny From the Block” and “Waiting for Tonight” and Shakira’s “She Wolf” and “Hips Don’t Lie.” Bad Bunny, J Balvin, and Lopez’s daughter Emme Muñiz all joined them onstage as guests, and the performance had a total viewership of 104 million.
Justin Timberlake
Image Credit: Christopher Polk/GI
Total viewers: 106.6 million
Justin Timberlake 2018 Super Bowl LII performance garnered 106.6 million viewers with hits like “Sexy Back,” “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” and a Prince tribute with a rendition of “I Would Die 4 U.”
Black Eyed Peas
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Total viewers: 110.2 million
With 110.2 million viewers, Black Eyed Peas’ 2011 Super Bowl XLV halftime show performance makes the list. The group performed songs like “I Gotta Feeling,” “Boom Boom Pow” and “Where Is the Love?”
Beyoncé
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Total viewers: 110.8 million
Yes, Bey made the list twice. Her solo show included hits like “Halo” and “Run The World (Girls)” before an iconic Destiny’s Child reunion with Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams to perform “Bootylicious,” “Independent Women Part I” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” The 2013 XLVII halftime show garnered 110.8 million viewers.
Madonna
Image Credit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Total viewers: 114 million
Madonna took the Super Bowl XLVI stage in 2012 with a viewership of 114 million, as she performed a slew of her hits and welcomed LMFAO onstage to deliver renditions of “Music,” “Party Rock Anthem” and “Sexy and I Know It.”
Bruno Mars
Image Credit: Getty Images
Total viewers: 115.3 million
Bruno Mars brought the heat to 2014’s Super Bowl XLVIII with slick performances of “Locked Out of Heaven,” “Treasure” and “Runaway Baby,” in addition to a guest appearance by Red Hot Chili Peppers. His show garnered 115.3 million views, just shy of Coldplay’s numbers.
Coldplay
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Total viewers: 115.5 million
Beyoncé and Bruno Mars joined Coldplay during the band’s 2016 halftime show, which got 115.5 million viewers with performances of “Yellow,” “Paradise,” “Viva la Vida” and “Fix You,” among other hits.
Lady Gaga
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/WireImage
Total viewers: 117.5 million
Gaga’s 2017 performance for Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, featured hits songs like “Poker Face,” “Born This Way,” “Paparazzi” and “Just Dance,” and ultimately brought in 117.5 million views.
Katy Perry
Image Credit: Rob Carr/GI
Total viewers: 121 million
With 121 million views, Katy Perry’s 2015 performance at at Super Bowl XLIX trails just behind RiRi as the second most-watched show. The meme-making performance (remember Left Shark?) featured Lenny Kravitz, Missy Elliot and the Arizona State University Sun Devil Marching Band as Perry performed hits like “Roar,” “California Gurls” and “Firework.”
Rihanna
Image Credit: Kevin Mazur/GI for Roc Nation
Total viewers: 121.017 million
With 121.017 million viewers, Rihanna’s 2023 performance during Super Bowl LVII is the most-watched halftime show in history.
During her performance at Glendale, Ariz.’s State Farm Stadium, she revealed she was pregnant with her second child with partner A$AP Rocky, and performed Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits like “Only Girl (in the World),” “We Found Love,” “S&M,” “Rude Boy,” “Work” and many more.
The Los Angeles Lakers have made it into the NBA Playoffs again this year after missing the postseason in 2022, and their slew of famous fans are enjoying every minute of it.
The Lakers have been in 62 playoffs over the course of their iconic run, most recently winning the championship in 2020 thanks in part to their superstar player, LeBron James.
One of the team’s most fervent fans is Snoop Dogg, who got a tattoo in honor of the Lakers in 2020. In a clip shared to Instagram, he showed the detailed tattoo designed and executed by artist Mister Cartoon. “As you see, tat is done,” Snoop explains. “KB on the bottom, Kobe Bryant, Larry O’Brien championship trophy with the Lakers going through the ball, gates of heaven up top and it don’t stop. Laker nation!”
The ink came less than a year after Bryant tragically died along with his daughter Gianna in a helicopter crash in January 2020.
In honor of the Lakers and to celebrate their place in the playoffs this year, we’ve compiled a gallery of famous musicians who are also fans of the LA basketball team. See the photos below.
Snoop Dogg
Image Credit: KMazur/Getty Images
Snoop Dogg during Celebrities at Game 4 of the NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Jersey Nets at Continental Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Adele
Image Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Adele attends a game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers on October 19, 2021 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.
Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea & Anthony Kiedis
Image Credit: Noel Vasquez/Getty Images
Flea and Anthony Kiedis attend a game between the Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples on November 28, 2010 in Los Angeles.
Dr. Dre
Image Credit: Noel Vasquez/Getty Images
Dr. Dre attends a game between the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on January 9, 2011 in Los Angeles.
Kendrick Lamar
Image Credit: Noel Vasquez/GC Images
Kendrick Lamar (R) greets Shaquille O’Neal at a basketball game between the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on April 13, 2016 in Los Angeles.
Saweetie
Image Credit: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images
Saweetie attends a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena on February 23, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Lil Wayne
Image Credit: David Santiago/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images
Lil Wayne is on hand as the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Miami Heat at the AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami on Friday, Dec. 13, 2019.
will.i.am
Image Credit: Noel Vasquez/Getty Images
will.i.am attends a game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on November 22, 2009 in Los Angeles.
Vanessa Hudgens & Ashley Tisdale
Image Credit: Noel Vasquez/Getty Images
Vanessa Hudgens and Ashley Tisdale attend a basketball game between the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on January 15, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
Paula Abdul
Image Credit: Jerod Harris/WireImage
Paula Abdul rides on the Los Angeles Lakers float at the 127th Tournament of Roses Parade Presented by Honda on January 1, 2016 in Pasadena, California.
Halsey
Image Credit: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images
Halsey attends a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers at Staples Center on January 13, 2020 in Los Angeles.
The Weeknd
Image Credit: Noel Vasquez/GC Images
The Weeknd attends a basketball game between the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on April 13, 2016 in Los Angeles.
Kid Cudi
Image Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Kid Cudi attends a game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers on October 19, 2021 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Ice Cube
Image Credit: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images
Ice Cube attends a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center on April 09, 2019 in Los Angeles.
Adam Levine & Behati Prinsloo
Image Credit: Noel Vasquez/Getty Images
Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo attend a basketball game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on November 25, 2016 in Los Angeles.
Anuel AA
Image Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images
Anuel AA greets Juan Toscano-Anderson #95 of the Los Angeles Lakers after the basketball game the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena on November 30, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
Lil Jon
Image Credit: Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
Lil Jon attends the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat at Staples Center January 15, 2007 in Los Angeles.
Slash
Image Credit: Noel Vasquez/Getty Images
Slash attends a game between the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on November 15, 2009 in Los Angeles.
Tyga
Image Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images
Tyga attends the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena on December 25, 2021 in Los Angeles.
Finneas & Claudia Sulewski
Image Credit: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images
Finneas and Claudia Sulewski attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena on November 30, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.
Grammy Award-winning rapper Lil Wayne visited the World Series champion Houston Astros on Tuesday night (May 2) before their game against the San Francisco Giants.
The Louisiana-born rapper was in town for a show later Tuesday, but stopped by the ballpark to hang with the Astros before taking the stage.
“It meant the world,” Lil Wayne said. “They showed me way too much love and it seemed like they’re a pretty big fan and I’m a fan as well so it was all good.”
He was thrilled to meet Astros manager Dusty Baker and Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson, who now works as a special adviser to Houston owner Jim Crane.
“I just pulled both of them to the side and had a long speech, a long talk with Mr. October and Dusty,” he said. “It was awesome.”
He also came away with a jersey signed by several players that he said he planned to hang on his wall. He was asked where the experience stacked up in his life.
“I don’t rank them, but this is pretty up there,” he said.
The New York Knicks have once again made their way back into the NBA Playoffs after missing the postseason in 2022, and the iconic team has a long history of celebrity fans cheering them on.
As a whole, the Knicks have been in the playoffs 39 times over their 74 seasons, but they haven’t won the NBA championship since 1973. Regardless, music stars from Diddy, 50 Cent and LL Cool J to Brandy, Fat Joe and Alicia Keys have cheered on the Empire State’s basketball team courtside over the years, no matter the record.
Perhaps one of the most famous Knicks fans is filmmaker Spike Lee, who throughout the years became known for having a sideline rivalry with basketball player Reggie Miller whenever the team would play against the Indiana Pacers throughout the 1990s. “I would come to his funeral dressed in all orange and blue sky as he would like,” Miller once said on The Dan Patrick Show, calling Lee the “face” of the Knicks. “I would be in Knicks’ colors at his wake. Just like he’d better be in blue and gold at mine.”
To this day, the lifelong superfan can be seen courtside at games dressed in head-to-toe Knicks attire. Most recently, he’s been enjoying the Knicks’ round 2 games this year against the Miami Heat.
To celebrate the Knicks in the playoffs, we’ve compiled a gallery of famous musicians who are also fans of the NY basketball team. See the photos below.
Sean “P. Diddy” Combs
Image Credit: James Devaney/WireImage
Sean “P. Diddy” Combs attends Cleveland Cavaliers vs New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on February 4, 2009 in New York City.
Zendaya
Image Credit: James Devaney/GC Images
Zendaya attends New York Knicks vs Oklahoma City Thunder game at Madison Square Garden on November 28, 2016 in New York City.
Fat Joe
Image Credit: James Devaney/Getty Images
Fat Joe attends New York Knicks v Brooklyn Nets game at Barclays Center on October 25, 2019 in New York City.
Alicia Keys & Swizz Beatz
Image Credit: James Devaney/WireImage
Alicia Keys, Egypt Dean and Swizz Beatz attend the Miami Heat vs New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 2, 2012 in New York City.
J. Cole
Image Credit: James Devaney/Getty Images
J. Cole attends the Brooklyn Nets v New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on November 24, 2019 in New York City.
DMC
Image Credit: James Devaney/GC Images
Norman Reedus and Run-DMC’s Darryl McDaniels attend the Brooklyn Nets vs New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on December 2, 2014 in New York City.
Q-Tip
Image Credit: Elsa/Getty Images
LL Cool J and Q-Tip attend an NBA game between the New York Knicks and the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden on April 26, 2021 in New York City.
Rakim
Image Credit: James Devaney/Getty Images
Rakim and guest attend the New York Knicks Vs Boston Celtics game at Madison Square Garden on December 21, 2017 in New York City.
Ja Rule
Image Credit: James Devaney/Getty Images
Amy Schumer, Ja Rule and Hasan Minhaj attend Washington Wizards v New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on December 23, 2019 in New York City.
Chris Brown
Image Credit: James Devaney/WireImage
Chris Brown attends the Boston Celtics vs New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on March 31, 2013 in New York City.
Josh Groban
Image Credit: James Devaney/WireImage
Josh Groban attends the New York Knicks vs Indiana Pacers NBA Playoff Game at Madison Square Garden on May 7, 2013 in New York City.
Chuck D
Image Credit: Elsa/Getty Images
Spike Lee poses with Chuck D of Public Enemy before the game between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden on January 9, 2014 in New York City.
50 Cent
Image Credit: James Devaney/GC Images
Don Gummer, Meryl Streep, 50 Cent and guest attend the Los Angeles Lakers vs New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on January 26, 2014 in New York City.
Katharine McPhee
Image Credit: Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
Katharine McPhee attends the NBA game between the New York Knicks and the Golden State Warriors at Madison Square Garden on February 27, 2013 in New York City.
Beastie Boys
Image Credit: Elsa/Getty Images
Mike D and Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys attend the game between the New York Knicks and the Golden State Warriors at Madison Square Garden on January 31, 2016 in New York City.
LL Cool J
Image Credit: Ray Amati/Getty Images
LL Cool J attends the NBA game between the Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on December 15, 2004 in New York City.
Brandy
Image Credit: James Devaney/WireImage
Brandy attends the Toronto Raptures vs New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 8, 2010 in New York City.
Nas
Image Credit: Noam Galai/WireImage
Nas performs during the 12th Annual Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival finale concert at Brooklyn Bridge Park on July 16, 2016 in New York City.
Rihanna‘s Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show is officially the most-watched halftime show performance of all time, according to an adjusted Nielsen report Tuesday (May 2).
The live performance — her first in more than five years — attracted 121.017 million viewers during the Feb. 12-dated broadcast. Nielsen’s revised report regarding Super Bowl LVII between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles also makes this year’s big game the most-watched Super Bowl in history.
According to the Associated Press, Nielsen revised this year’s original figure of 113.1 million by 2 million “after a review that revealed encoding irregularities as well as issues with out-of-home measurement.” The new 115.1 million figure breaks the record that was previously set by the 2015 Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, which had 114.442 million viewers (not including streaming). This year’s figure also surpassed that of the 2017 Super Bowl between the Atlanta Falcons and the New England Patriots (113.668 million), which previously held the most-watched record out of Fox Sports’ 10 Super Bowl broadcasts.
During RiRi’s now history-making performance at Glendale, Ariz.’s State Farm Stadium, she not only revealed she was pregnant with her and partner A$AP Rocky‘s second child, but she also performed her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits like “Only Girl (in the World),” “We Found Love,” “S&M,” “Rude Boy,” “Work” and more. Ahead of her big night, Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty lingerie and clothing brand sold “Rihanna concert interrupted by a football game, weird but whatever” T-shirts as part of its game day collection. And considering millions more people tuned into her “concert” than the game, there’s truth to that slogan.
The Atlanta Hawks are still alive in the NBA Playoffs, and that will force fans planning to attend Janet Jackson’s concert in the city this week to wait a day to see the music star.
The Hawks rallied to beat the Boston Celtics 119-117 in Game 5 of their playoff matchup on Tuesday night, sending the series back to Atlanta for Game 6.
It means that State Farm Arena was double-booked for Thursday night. The casualty was Jackson’s concert, Live Nation said in a statement following the the team’s victory.
The concert was moved to Friday, and all tickets for Thursday’s show will be honored for Friday night. Refunds will be available at the point of purchase for those who are unable to change their plans.
State Farm Arena’s Twitter account posted this message late Tuesday: “SHOW UPDATE: Due to tonight’s @ATLHawks Game 5 win, we will host Game 6 on Thursday, moving Thursday’s Janet Jackson concert to Friday. If you have tickets to the original show date, they will be honored for Friday’s date.”
Doors for Jackson’s show Friday will open at 6:30 p.m. and the concert will begin at 7:45 p.m.
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Source: Ezra Shaw / Getty / Stephen Curry
Unlike his teammate Draymond Green, Stephen Curry rarely makes a mistake on the court, until yesterday.
The best shooter in basketball, Stephen Curry, almost cost his Golden State Warriors the game, and they could have been down 3-1 heading back to Sacramento after making an egregious blunder.
With just 40 seconds left in the game, the Kings trapped Curry leaving him nowhere to go or pass the ball. So generally, in that situation, you will call a timeout, and that’s what he did.
But there was one issue, the Warriors didn’t have any timeouts left after head coach Steve Kerr lost the team’s final timeout in an unsuccessful challenge that even Draymond Green told him not to do.
“I didn’t realize when we lost the challenge that we didn’t have any timeouts left,” Curry said. Like a true leader, Steve Kerr took the blame for the moment, protecting his all-star player.
Curry still owned up to his mistake, adding, “[Coach] took the blame for it, but I ain’t going to lie: I thought it was the smartest play in the world. I looked at the bench, and everybody was shaking their head. It was an unfortunate situation.”
The Kings took advantage of what many call Steph’s “Chris Webber moment,” referencing retired hooper calling a timeout his team did not have during the 1993 National Championship game costing the Michigan Wolverines the chip.
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With a technical free throw and a three-pointer from the NBA’s most clutch player, De’Aron Fox, the Kings were only down one in a game that at one point looked like a sure win for the Warriors.
The Warriors did survive after Harrison Barnes missed a go-ahead three-pointer.
NBA Twitter Came With The Jokes
As you can imagine, NBA Twitter had plenty of reactions to Curry’s brain lapse and Harrison Barnes’s potential game-winning brick.
You can see those in the gallery below.
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Photo: Ezra Shaw / Getty
1. Accurate
2. Very true
7. Y’all aint right
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Star NFL player Odell Beckham Jr. has been named as a suspect in an assault that took place in Los Angeles – an incident his representatives deny ever happened.
According to reports, law enforcement claims that a woman filed a report stating that the Baltimore Ravens wide receiver assaulted her at a popular restaurant “several weeks ago”. She claimed that OBJ “went up to her and grabbed her throat with light pressure” at the Delilah restaurant, an eatery that’s notable for having a high celebrity clientele. Representatives for the wide receiver stated that they hadn’t been contacted by police and strongly denied that he did anything wrong.
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When contacted by the press, Delilah’s owner John Terzian vehemently denied the incident happened. “We were contacted about an investigation and reviewed the videos, the claim is false,” he said. “There is no evidence of this person even being in the area where she claims the incident occurred.” Sources in the initial report claim that both the woman and Beckham remained at the venue after the alleged incident took place.
The West Hollywood eatery was also caught up in controversy with another notable figure linked to the National Football League. Former three-time Super Bowl champion Willie McGinest was involved in an assault there last December, which was caught on video. McGinest would be let go from his analyst position with the NFL Network after being charged with two felonies and is set to go to trial later this month.
The 30-year-old Beckham has had a few tumultuous months – he recently signed a one-year deal with Baltimore for $18 million in a surprise to many expecting him to join the New York Jets to play with their expected new quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. At the press conference, he claimed that during the 2022 Super Bowl against the Cincinnati Bengals, he played “without an ACL” as a member of the winning Los Angeles Rams squad. He also had a run-in with law enforcement last November, being escorted off of a plane at Miami-Dade Airport for “unruly behavior”.
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Photo: Getty
Metro Boomin is preparing fans everywhere for Major League Baseball’s Opening Day on Thursday (March 30) with a special video.
The nearly three-minute clip from MLB Network’s studio programming kicks off with Metro (who’s wearing a baseball cap that reps his hometown team, the St. Louis Cardinals) opening up Pro Tools on his laptop and gearing up to make hits — a normal day for the multi-platinum producer — which he compares to players gearing up for a 162-game regular season.
“Whenever I start working on a new record, there are a million different ways that it can go. I might try something new. I might just want to pick up where I left off with the last big hit. Link up with an old friend, or get a bunch of the big dogs together. Go get them young hitters, or help someone trying to follow up a huge hit,” he says as “Trance” (featuring Travis Scott and Young Thug) from his latest Billboard 200-topping album Heroes & Villains plays in the background. “Sometimes you find an artist that breaks all the rules. Sometimes, the rules change right in front of your eyes. But all throughout, you’ve gotta be true to yourself, ya dig? Inject that flavor and that sauce that makes whatever you’re creating different from everything anyone else has ever come up with.”
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The piece features several images and highlights of MLB rising stars and veterans, including Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, Justin Verlander of the New York Mets, Julio Rodríguez of the Seattle Mariners and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Miami Marlins. Later, the song shifts to the John Legend-assisted “On Time” from Metro’s Heroes & Villains.
“You can’t beat this time of year. Everybody’s staring at 162,” Metro says while peering into the camera. “162 chances to make that beautiful music…. It’s time to play ball.”
Watch the “Eyes on 162” clip below.
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Source: Jim McIsaac / Getty / Ben Simmons
Brooklyn Nets fans don’t have to worry about Ben Simmons being a liability for the team when the playoffs begin.
ESPN reports the Brooklyn Nets are shutting down Ben Simmons for the remainder of the season; coach Jacque Vaughn told the press on Tuesday.
“Ben will not be joining us the rest of the year and through the playoffs,” Vaughn revealed after practice. “After consulting with our doctors, multiple specialists, he’s just going to begin a rehab program. Our doctors and the specialists feel and think that he’ll have a full recovery, so that starts now.”
The fragile hooper has not hit the court for the Nets since the team’s final game before the All-Star break because of a nerve issue in his back. Simmons has been beset with knee and back issues, but Vaughn says he does not expect the point guard to get surgery for this latest injury.
“That is not in sight,” Vaughn said. “That’s the recommendation right now.”
Before making his Nets debut following a trade that saw the Brooklyn franchise swap James Harden for him, Simmons underwent back surgery last summer.
When he did return, he was a mere shell of his former self, seeing a steep decline in his performance from his All-Star days with the Sixers.
During the small sample size with the Nets, Simmons posted career lows in minutes (26.3), points (6.9), rebounds (6.3), assists (6.1), and free throw percentage (43.9).
Jack Vaughn Still Believes In Ben Simmons
Still, his coach remains hopeful the 26-year-old professional hooper can return to his old form.
“That’s our goal,” Vaughn said. “And overall, you just think about, he’s 6-10, athletic, what he can do and bring to our team, how he can help our group on both ends of the floor. We want to be involved in that. We want to see that. I want to coach Ben, and I want to be able to push Ben to get back to all-defensive team and impact our team on both ends of the floor. So that’s definitely the goal going forward.”
The Nets Will Continue To Support Him & Remain Hopeful He Can Return Next Season
According to general manager Sean Marks, the Nets will also continue to support Simmons.
“Same thing we’ve done in the past is support him,” Marks told ESPN. “This is a young man that has been through a very traumatic and pretty arduous last couple years here. And this is not news that he wants to hear. He didn’t want specialists telling him, ‘Hey look, here’s the best thing for you.’ The good news, they were in unison in their plan for a full recovery. I worked hard with these doctors, all the different specialists as well as Bernie Lee, his new agent, to come up with a plan that’s hopefully going to get him back, and back to being the Ben we’ve all seen.”
Marks continues, “I do feel for him because I know he wants to be out here. I know he wants to be part of this team. Nobody likes being told, ‘You didn’t amount to what you should have, and it shouldn’t be this, you should have done this, and so forth’ I hope he uses all of this as whatever you want to call it, chalkboard fodder for motivation, and attack [his rehab]. But I think he would fit with these guys we’ve got, and he fits for multiple reasons. So we hope that he’s back — and that he’s healthy, ready to go.”
Twitter Believes It’s A Wrap For Ben Simmon’s Career
While Simmon’s current team still believes in him, NBA Twitter is saying it’s a wrap for N0.10, and he will probably end up playing professional basketball in China.
LOL.
Damn, you all are ruthless.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
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Photo: Jim McIsaac / Getty
2. Howling