Ben Simmons did his introductory press conference with the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday morning. It was the first time he’s spoken with reporters going all the way back to the Atlanta playoff series loss last summer, so that’s almost eight months without a public comment.

I’ll give you some notes and quotes:

  • He doesn’t have a date for a return but is “working towards” being back on the floor and is “starting to ramp it up.”
  • He was asked about possibly playing again for Philly, and said it wasn’t about the fan base or anyone in the organization. He says he was dealing with stuff prior to the season. He is trying to get back to the right place to get back on the floor.
  • On the final straw, he says there was no final straw. Things “piled up” over the years and he wasn’t himself anymore and needed to get back to taking care of his well being. “It wasn’t about the basketball or the money or anything like that.“
  • After the Hawks series loss he says he knew he needed to get himself into a better place.
  • He’s been lifting, doing pilates, staying in shape, etc.
  • He says there’s “no personal thing towards any player or coach or owners or anything like that.”
  • He thinks playing with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving is “going to be scary.”
  • He is working “non stop” on his free throw shooting.
  • He also mentioned how he enjoyed playing with JJ Redick and Marco Belinelli and moving and sharing the ball, which was the main focus of Brett Brown’s offense.

Ben said this about what happened in Philadelphia:

“For me, it was about making sure I was mentally right to get out there and play again, so that’s something I’ve been dealing with. It wasn’t about the fans or coaches or comments made about anybody, it was a personal thing for me that (began) earlier than (the Hawks playoff series) or even that season, that I was dealing with. That organization knew that. It was something I continue to deal with. I’m getting there and getting to the right place to get back on the floor.”

“The mental health has nothing to do with just the trade. It was a bunch of things I was dealing with as a person, in my personal life, that I don’t want to go in depth with. But I’m here now and it’s a blessing to be with an organization like this. I’m looking forward to getting back on the floor and building something great here.”

On why things got so bad in Philly:

“If I knew I would tell you. There’s just a lot of things internally that had to happen over time, and it just got to a place where I don’t think it was good for me mentally. So it is what it is. It happened and I’m moving forward.”

Simmons also noted that he did not speak with Joel Embiid after the trade. He did, however, speak with Josh Harris, Elton Brand, Doc Rivers and Tobias Harris. He reiterated that people “didn’t know” what was going on and had his family there supporting him “from day one.” It was never a personal thing targeting towards anybody against the Sixers. And when asked about being ready for the March 10th game against Philly, Ben said “I hope so” in terms of being available.

He also was asked about people being skeptical of his mental health claims:

Initial reaction? I think those answers were mostly predictable. He was mostly short and blunt at the beginning, which is typically Ben. Nothing new there. And of course each individual person is gonna decide for themselves whether or not the mental health thing is real.

Here’s the press conference if you want to watch it back.