He's not your average 6-foot-10 point guard who was the No. 1 overall pick. He's basketball star Ben Simmons, and he comes from a land down under.
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The Aussie is oft-compared to current Los Angeles Lakers and former Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James for his versatility and NFL size. He's also comparable to James in his love for Beverly Hills.
Simmons came into the NBA at the end of the "Trust the Process" era in Philly sparked by general manager Sam Hinkie. The draft picks of that era include Nik Stauskas and Nerlens Noel as the 76ers turned to short-term tanking, becoming the picture of mediocrity, on their way to selecting first-round picks like Simmons and Markelle Fultz. All the while, the Philly front office kept telling Sixers fans "when things look bad, trust the process," paraphrasing the Hopal Green process quote. It should be said that every player mentioned in the previous paragraph is no longer on the Sixers roster, some being let go and other traded for assets.
The former Philadelphia 76ers All-Star has it going on, especially in the eyes of ESPN's Pablo Torres. The Australian accent is enough to seal the deal. The subtle mystery behind it has ladies swooning and wondering if he can do more than dunk the ball in the fourth quarter of a playoff game.
Simmons is the total package and has the dating resume to back it up.
Ben Simmons' Dating History
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NBA star Ben Simmons dipped his toes in the high-profile dating game as soon as he entered the league from Louisiana State University.
In 2016, he was rumored to be dating fitness model and social media influencer, Brittany Renner. She had previously been linked to Colin Kaepernick and singer Trey Songz. The couple was never officially confirmed, and the relationship dissipated.
The Brooklyn guard moved on to Dylan Gonzalez, a model, rapper, social media influencer, and former basketball player who had been involved with Anthony Davis in the past. The two kept it casual and gushed over social media. The puppy love eventually died down.
Not too long after Gonzalez, Simmons did something out of the ordinary: he shot his shot. Not on the court, but with R&B star Tinashe.
They were introduced by a mutual friend and grabbed a bite to eat on their first date. The couple started casually hanging out for six months before making it official in March 2018.
As quickly as love arose, it fell. They split in May 2018 because Simmons was having trouble adjusting to Tinashe's public lifestyle.
He was looking for someone low-key and out of the spotlight. You know, someone like Kendall Jenner.
Ben Simmons' Ex-Girlfriend Kendall Jenner is Now Dating Devin Booker
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Jenner and Simmons allegedly started talking before Simmons cut ties with Tinashe. Jenner — Khloe Kardashian's sister — was fresh off a relationship with Detroit Pistons star Blake Griffin.
Ironically, Griffin was spotted with Tinashe in Las Vegas shortly after the Simmons/Jenner dating rumors emerged.
Page Six reported the supermodel and "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" star was spotted on a lunch date with the basketball player in Los Angeles. They later met up again in Manhattan in New York City with a group of friends.
According to TMZ, things got dicey when Jenner was caught lip-locked with Anwar Hadid — the younger brother of her West Hollywood friends and fellow models Bella and Gigi Hadid — at the CFDA Awards after-party in NYC. Simmons and Jenner were casual at the time and the little smooch didn't seem to cause any rifts.
Simmons and Jenner suffered a breakup in May 2019, per E! Online. They appeared to be dating again after ringing in 2020 after pics surfaced of the pair attending Super Bowl LIV together.
The quick reconciliation took a backseat to Jenner's outings with Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker. The two have been spotted together since April 2020, including coming over the Fourth of July weekend. Jenner caught flack for her history of dating NBA players via Twitter after their first rendezvous. She clapped back with an all-time tweet.
they act like i’m not in full control of where i throw this cooch https://t.co/DOCPKMdW6K
— Kendall (@KendallJenner) April 29, 2020
Simmons was spotted with Talia Richman after splitting with Jenner in 2019. He has been linked on and off with Instagram models like Jasmine Rae in the past as well, but nothing serious.
Is Ben Simmons Single?
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Since 2021, Simmons has been linked with model Maya Jama. While their relationship status was unclear last year, Jama and Simmons eventually became engaged after only eight months of dating. We're not sure that's what trusting the process means. But this wouldn't be the first time the Sixers star wouldn't end up at the altar. Since their whirlwind romance was announced, things have soured between the pair, with Simmons apparently asking for his engagement ring back after the two split up. Not a great look for the Nets star, especially as his personal growth comes into question.
Final thoughts? Unlike Jrue Holiday, who Simmons is often compared to, the LSU product simply can't keep it together off the court. That's sad. If Ben Simmons can't shoot his shot on the court, you'd at least hope he'd be able to shoot it outside the arena.
Better luck next time, Ben. Perhaps it's time to trust the process again.
This post was originally published on July 15, 2020 before updating.
