Australian coach: “We won’t even beg Ben Simmons”

Her coach AustraliaBrian Gurian, made it clear that the national team will not… fall at his feet Ben Simmons, which is permanently absent from its obligations. The Nets guard has been wearing the coat of arms since 2013 (!), since on several occasions while initially expressing his intention to help, he withdrew his participation along the way.

“In my conversations with Ben Simmons I always said, “I’m not going to pick you.” It’s important for the country to know that we didn’t go to say ‘Please Ben, we’ve got nothing if you don’t play’. We are not like that at all. We won’t beg Ben Simmons!“, emphasized the coach of Australia who is preparing for the World Cup and added:

“It is a feeling that is considered important for two main reasons. The first is that national teams have a high level of prestige in the Australian sporting consciousness, relative to most other countries, so the perspective of treating a player as greater than the team is not in keeping with the country’s values. The other is that getting into the Australian National Team is extremely difficult these days. Being an NBA player does not guarantee selection, so there is a level of investment that athletes are expected to make, both on and off the court, in order to secure their spot».

And he concluded:Yes, you are fantastic and you are a great player and the country loves you. Both the country and the team want you in gold and green. But, on the other hand, this is really good for you too. Because you can walk through those doors and leave everything behind and be you, and play with your friends, in a culture like that. I look at it this way, that it will be a very good opportunity for him and that me and the guys on the team care about him. We want him to have a great career».