Former NBA star Ben Simmons has temporarily banished the fishing rod and returned to the basketball court in a secret training session in Melbourne on Monday.
This masthead can also reveal Australian Boomers coach Adam Caporn will meet with Simmons this week, and discuss his future international plans, including any ambitions to play in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, as part of a week-long informal camp held by the national team. Simmons has not been involved with the Boomers since 2013.
An industry source, who did not wish to be named to speak freely, confirmed Caporn and Simmons will chat.
Boomers veteran and former NBA champion Patty Mills, 37, is also expected to be in Melbourne this week, Mills having recently returned to the court in Spain. One of Australiaās greatest ever shooters, Mills did not play in the NBA last season, with industry insiders having expected him to retire from international basketball after the Paris Olympics.
Simmons had a strong workout with his own camp, including David Patrick, his godfather, mentor and Boomers assistant coach, at the Courtside Stadium in Port Melbourne, owned by fellow basketball stars Josh Giddey and Dyson Daniels.
Another industry source, who did not wish to be named to speak freely, said Simmons, 29, worked up a sweat, was in excellent condition physically and mentally, and trained well, but did not join in scrimmaging.
His return has raised expectations the 2016 No.1 overall pick wants to return to the NBA next season, while there has been excitement within the NBL that he would consider suiting up for the 2026-27 season, however faint those hopes are.
This move comes in a week when the Boomers are holding a week-long informal camp in Melbourne, which will also include the likes Giddey, the Chicago Bullsā playmaker, Daniels, the Atlanta Hawksā defensive ace, Hawksā teammate Jock Landale, former NBA champion and now Sydney King Matthew Dellavedova and Kingsā forward Xavier Cooks.
Australian great Andrew Bogut, now a Kingsā assistant coach, is also in town.
As this is not a Basketball Australia sanctioned camp, a spokesman for the gameās governing body would not comment.
One of Australiaās richest athletes, Simmons has not represented Australia at the senior level since his maiden outing as a teenager at the 2013 FIBA Oceania Championships.
The camp, according to another industry source wishing to speak anonymously, will be used as much as for tactical planning as it will be team bonding, ahead of next yearās FIBA World Cup in Qatar when Caporn will have his first major tournament in charge since replacing Brian Goorjian.
Squad selection and team cohesion were an issue leading in, and through, the Paris Olympics, when the Boomers were knocked out by Serbia in a tight quarter-final loss.
Simmons has largely been a recluse from the sport after opting to reject a one-year veteran minimum deal from eventual NBA champions New York Knicks last season.
His five-year, $250 million deal signed with the Philadelphia 76ers expired after the 2024-25 season, the two-time All-Star having battled mental health issues and an injured back, before he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets then waived.
Simmons spent his last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, before turning his attention to professional sport fishing. He averaged 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game through his career, but outside shooting was an issue.
He is co-owner of the South Florida Sails, and helped capture the Sport Fishing Championship Blue Marlin Open at Walkerās Cay in the Bahamas in May.
Caporn told this masthead in June that Simmons would be welcomed into the Boomers fold should the opportunity arise.
āI think my role is to help people flourish in their professional careers,ā Caporn said.
āBenās working to get healthy, and weāll see what the future holds. But weāre here to support him as a person first and, if thereās a time when it works out, youāll wear the green and gold, weād be ecstatic.ā
Giddey, the Bullsā franchise point guard, and Daniels, dubbed the āGreat Barrier Thiefā because of his defensive prowess, were also put through a long session at Courtside on Monday. The pair worked with renowned NBA skills trainer Jordan Lawley, who is in town from Los Angeles.
Daniels had a particular focus on his offensive game, and worked studiously in drills beginning with his back to the basket. Former Bull Lachlan Albrecht, who is eying a new club, also worked out.
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Jon Pierik is a sports journalist at The Age. He covers AFL and has won awards for his cricket and basketball writing.Connect via X or email.From our partners
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