NBA rookie Ben Simmons didn’t sugarcoat his feelings about the NCAA in his documentary which explores his journey from Australia to the league.
A teaser for the Showtime doc One and Done premiered on Wedsnday (Nov. 2) with Simmons sharing his opinion on the NCAA and how they handle their players. Known as the breakout star of the NCAA, the former LSU player expresses his regret on playing for the school without being paid for his on-court talents. “Everybody’s making money except the players,” he said. “We’re the ones waking up early as hell to beat the best teams and do everything they want us to do and then the players get nothing. They say education, but if I’m there for a year, I can’t get much education.”
His one-year remarks are attributed to NBA’s “One and Done” clause, which requires players to remain out of high school for a full year before becoming eligible for the NBA Draft. During his time at LSU, Simmons says he was offered luxury items from agents and talent scouts such as a Bentley, a Wraith Rolls-Royce, watches, jewelry and a home. He also explained his disinterest in his academics due to the idea that he would only attend university for such a short time.
Over the years, the NCAA has been slammed for making billions off of college players who aren’t paid for playing.
“The NCAA is messed up,” Simmons said. “I don’t have a voice. … I don’t get paid to do it. Don’t say I’m an amateur and make me take pictures and sign stuff and go make hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars off one person. … I’m going off on the NCAA. Just wait, just wait. I can be a voice for everybody in college. I’m here because I have to be here [at LSU]. … I can’t get a degree in two semesters, so it’s kind of pointless. I feel like I’m wasting time.”
Check out a clip from the documentary below.
One and Done will premiere on Showtime this Friday (Nov. 4) at 9 p.m. EST.