So glad we upended the entire program just to make him happy, then.

He'd be a distraction we just don't need if he played. Probably best for all.

Fact he says he's keen to join in the future should be taken with a grain of salt at best as he's been saying that for about 6 years now.

Forget about WCs

2024 Paris best shot probably

There goes the 'lucrative' payday he would’ve received from Four n Twenty. Heh.

Probably found another Kardashian to chase.

"Serbia 95%"

Serbia is missing three of their best players. How are they 95 percent while we're 85?

"Spain full strength...
France full strength...
Argentina full strength…"

Who cares about Argentina? That medal run was the fluke to end all flukes.

France, not that scary really.

Spain, we've knocked on the door to beating them with a worse team than we will have this year.

Canada could be scary but have never got it together before. We don't know that they will now.

"This team ain't good enough when you look at the other teams rosters."

Other teams POTENTIAL rosters. Mind you, this team is going to be far better on paper than our 2016 and 2019 teams that both knocked on the medal door. We weren't favourites to beat France and Lithuania, yet we did. We have an experienced core and that means something.

I am not saying we're going to waltz in and get a medal but I think the catastrophizing is unwarranted. We are going to be better than we have been over the past decade. We're going to be more athletic. We're going to have far better wing defense - an area we've especially struggled in. Ben Simmons does not make or break this team.

-

"So glad we upended the entire program just to make him happy, then."

Yep, we brought in David Patrick in 2019 to placate him, went nowhere. Removed the most successful Boomers coach of all time from the team, did nothing.

I remember in 2019 people used to defend him saying 'oh but wouldn't you prefer he plays in the Olympics?' I always knew that there was every chance that wouldn't happen either.

I thought when Ben was knocked out of the playoffs, "oh good. Welcome to Boomers camp Ben." But somehow he's managed to be healthy, be well rested, have an entire off-season, and STILL not find 3-4 weeks for the Boomers!

I know the external rhetoric from the team will be about mateship and sticking by him, but fickity fuck that. The Boomers should have made their last Ben Simmons related concession now. No more bending over backwards.

It's pretty sad when Matisse Thybulle - a guy who barely holidayed in Australia - shows more interest in the program than the apparent poster boy.

Stop trying with Ben. The next Olympics is about guys like Giddey, Dyson Daniels, Matisse Thybulle, Josh Green, Jock Landale, etc

I was talking about the 2024 Olympics. I dont want us chasing Ben anymore. It's actually humiliating.

Who have Argentina actually got that we should all be worried about?

They had a far easier draw than most at the cup and they won an impressive game that put them in the finals. Their draw leading to that was far easier than anyone elses.

"Beating Serbia in the 1/4s and then France in the semis with a depleted roster ain't an achievement?"

Didnt say it's not, but we did basically the same thing as them with a worse roster than we currently have.

Let's not forget the talk when Bolden pulled out. Most people thought any vague medal shot we had was done. We got within a point of the gold medal game.

We've got a far better team this time around, with the only downside being that Duop Reath isn't really an adequate replacement for Bogut. Outside of that the athleticism on this team is another step up from anything we've ever had.

"And then France beat Aus for third."

France beat a tired, broken Boomers team that ran their starting 5 into the floor for third after the Boomers gave up a 15 point lead. Did you not see the game? Baynes was gassed. Mills was gassed. Ingles was gassed.

We wont have the same problem next time when it comes to rotating our main guys.

"You do realise that every team at the WC had people missing... every team has become stronger for the Olympics."


And so have we.... an in shape Dante Exum, Matisse thybulle, Josh green are your replacements for Barlow, Gliddon and Sobey. I think that's an upgrade...

"Keep diggin me,"

Context matters. Just because one team beat another under one set of conditions doesnt mean they're a better team in every situation. We beat Team USA in warm ups in 2019, does that mean we beat them for a medal this year? No. Why? Different conditions.

You said France beat us. You do realize we also beat France don't you? You seem to be picking and choosing which victories mean something and which dont just based on whether they fit your narrative. All I am saying is based on recent evidence, we have no need to be unduly worried about France. We CAN beat them.

Disappointing but not surprising.

Boomers still a real medal chance but not as much as we would've been with Simmons. He would've helped on both ends of the floor.

Fact that he waited until after camp had started to let them know, makes me question his character and commitment in general. Concerning that his career trajectory suggests he hasn't been putting in enough work on elements of his game, so I'm unsure if he has the mental toughness and discipline to become uver elite. And this type of behavior is concerning too from a character perspective.

Oh well, onwards and upwards without him. Hopefully he commits in future and genuinely works on his game on the meantime, and becomes the type of NBA superstar we were hoping he would.

uber*

Ben really justifies all the criticism levelled at him. Him dillying around proves he's not all that concerned with the Boomers. Him showing up with the same broken game every year shows he lacks dedication. He was meant to be the next Lebron James but I think people overestimated what is between his ears and under his sternum. God wasted talent on him. He could be the best player in the NBA but he doesnt want it bad enough. If Ben Simmons wanted success the way Kobe Bryant wanted success he would be league MVP next year. But I bet he comes back hiding from his jump shot and being generally poor at all of his traditional weaknesses. I also bet we dont see him in a Boomers jersey until his career is basically over, if at all.

"Me you just used being tired as an excuse..."

Yeah... after a double overtime game.

CONTEXT MATTERS.

Delly, Patty and Ingles played the most minutes of basically any players of the tournament I hope you know. All of them were spent in that bronze medal game. And they had nothing they could go to on the bench to replace them. You've got Dante, Thybulle and Green as obvious replacements who will give those guys rest in this team. We had none of that in 2019. We did surprisingly well seeing as we had 3 pieces of dead wood at the end of the bench.

I believe he has been told they're trading him and he can't afford to get injured by playing until it's over.

All the best Ben, hope you get traded to a bottom 4 side...

I'll admit, things are up-in-the-air for this team. But the core is formidable and they've been there, and (almost) done that. Delly, Patty, Ingles, Baynes are all guys who are used to the international game and nothing is going to phase them.

The question marks are what kind of form does Dante find himself in? How do you work Thybulle into rotation? Does Green get minutes? Do you play Landale as back up center or can you get more out of Duop Reath? Does Goulding make the team or do you opt for someone who isn't a bit of a chucker? Does bringing Goorjian in, despite being a good coach, actually help or hinder a team that already was most of the way to their goal under Lemanis?

On paper this still stands to be the best Boomers team we've put together but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about how things will work out - I was just MORE nervous in 2019.

I think the Boomers will be in the mix of teams vying for a medal but how that turns out will depend on our depth, how other teams actually show up to the games, and how Goorjian actually gets this team playing. We cant keep mourning the loss of Simmons because you cant lose what you never had.

In our group we have Nigeria, who will be tougher than most expect, and most likely Serbia and Croatia. You'd pencil us in to beat Nigeria and Croatia (most likely) with Serbia being the danger game. They will also be without their best player, and we saw how they performed in 2019. But, of course, you don't sleep on them.

The top team of the group advances to the top four, along with with the best second placed team of the three groups combined.

Based on our draw, we're likely butting heads with Serbia for a shot at the top four and a medal.

It will be a shorter tournament with no quarter finals and less margin for error. But it is a perfect opportunity for an in-form team to come through and surprise everyone. That could as easily be Australia as it was Argentina in 2019.

I think the key for success for this team is we need to be able to go 10-12 deep. We cant be bringing along any players who cannot play a meaningful role in an important game. if that means blooding Giddey doesn't happen, so be it. We need to give this team the best possible chance of success.

i think that Ben needs the Boomers more than the Boomers need Ben. Until he gets his head & heart in order, he work all he wants on his technique, but to quote Troy Bolton, he needs to "get his head in the game"

Simmons' character has been questioned above. In his personal case, I want to highlight his blatant disregard for what his dad did all those years ago. He became an Australian.

For Americans, and for most nationals, it's not easy to relinquish your natural citizenship for any other. Dave thought we were a worthy nation. His son is saying, "Dad, you got it wrong".

Not only has he LET AUSTRALIANS DOWN, he also robbed his own parents of the honour, pride and joy that their son is an Olympian, and even a medalist. Instead, they are left holding the fort, trying to justify their son's decision, to all they know

When he has babies of his own (if his balls are up to it, his balls aren't up to representing his country), he may learn that it's not "all-about-me".

Ben, you're pathetic! Not for not playing. But by showing your innate disrespect for all Australians, including your own mum and dad. I repeat, pathetic.

You have made your ridiculous claim that improving your jump-shot is more important than representing your country.

You have become irrelevant to Australian basketball. Lemanis may have twigged when he left you out of his squad back then. Sheesh, talk about holding a grudge. Thanks to you, so do I now.

I look forward to great results, including medals, without you.

Think about all that and be happy with yourself!

"mental health"
"mental health"
"mental health"
"No, not his! He left his house to meet a girl! He smiled and it looked like a smirk! He's not allowed to smile until his free throw percentage is at least 65%!"

He had an obvious meltdown on the global stage. While I think playing some basketball with countrymen who would have your back is in theory a positive, it doesn't matter what I think. He might want to be nowhere near basketball for a couple of weeks before starting training. His employer might have specifically requested that he sit out the games for that or another reason.

And for any talk of "he's done nothing to improve his game any other off-season", most of us struggle to work on things that don't come naturally. Not all of us make dramatic improvements year after year. I know I still avoid the same things I avoided last year, still have the same difficult projects stalled. "But he gets paid millions!" Yeah, by the people who probably suggested he take some time off.

It is what it is. Little point in being vindictive about it.

"Delly and Baynes have hardly played in the nba this season. Our "core" is considerably depleted compared to previous boomers who have competed for a medal."

Yeah, it's a concern. May or may not lead to a downturn in how they play for the Boomers though. Their bodies are fresh on the upside.

Interesting contrast between a fan posting that Simmons "LET AUSTRALIANS DOWN" while Patty Mills (you know, the guy that would've actually had Simmons playing alongside him) is posting a video about a tight circle of teammates that support each other and what they're going through, whether they're in or out of a team, etc.

But no, apparently Simmons brings shame to his country, his parents and any future children.

Anyway, unfortunate he won't be there, but hopefully we get to see how Thybulle goes in the international format and fitting into a new team. Exum if he's fit also.

I don't think Australians are obliged to celebrate or seek to understand Ben. Why should we hold him up as one of our own if he doesnt represent us? It's a reasonable gripe to have with a player. You cant take the millions of dollars in jersey sales but none of the criticism.

And Patty has a right to his point of view. He's going to say that. He's an ambassador for the Boomers and it is the right thing to say from that position. But I doubt in his private thoughts that he is all-too happy with the decision. There are rumours around the Boomers for years that they all took issue with Ben and his attitude, some referring to him as "the yank".

Hey, maybe that's why he isn't that enthusiastic about playing? Who knows. But I dont think Ben deserves a chorus of "nawww... it's all okay Ben!" A lot of people are pissed off with him, from Philly to Australia, and all for justifiable reasons.

Well the Boomers have bent over backwards to placate him for years and the result is the same. Would you really keep doing that for him for the small chance he pulls his finger out?

Maybe you dont ban him from the team but I'd certainly stop hand-picking his favourite coaches and massaging his ball sack such that the whole team is built around his needs. Let's face it, Brett Brown was because of Simmons. Goorjian because of Simmons. Was it really broke under Lemanis? I feel like that team and that coaching staff should have been given the opportunity to see out the whole cycle with the team.

Of course hindsight is 20/20 and maybe if Ben committed you'd say the right choice was made, but in future, no, I dont think we should be making those kinds of concessions to him. The Boomers clearly are not to him what they are to Patty Mills.

He would fit into the US team easily enough, where he wouldn't be carrying the hyper level of responsibility or national expectations that he would in the Boomers.

I can see him taking out US citizenship in the next few years in order to achieve this.

Disappointed at a lot of people. Ryan pulls out due to mental health issues and people support him, Ben pulls out and he gets roasted. Clearly Ben has some mental health issues as he didn't have the confidence to shoot. He is a better player than his playoffs had showed.

Yes I'm disappointed that he isn't playing, but we need to support those that need it.

I am sure Ben has a passing interest in the Boomers but it's like a girl he's only sort of into, he's not going to make the time unless he can be bothered and everything lines up. For Patty it's the girl he wants to marry. For Ben, it's the girl he barely wants to be seen in public with.

Yep totally expected this to happen. Usually its the "withdraw due to injury" line but either way the end result is how it was always going to be. No doubt a lot of the time its out of the players hands and the decisions are made by the people paying their contract. I do feel for him unfortunately he's the one having to cop it from americans and aussies now.

Agree with ME that BA shouldn't have been making concessions for a player that was little chance of making himself available to play for the boomers. Suggestions earlier that Lemanis' time would have been over anyway and he had his limitations. But he did deserve an opportunity to see it through to Tokyo and with a more full strength squad available to him. Its always a risk changing the coach when the team was playing so well under a certain system it will be interesting to see how they perform under Goorj.

People are saying he would have left eventually, yes, true. But he would have done so with one last shot with the team that he personally developed. This was the Olympics it was all meant to lead to. It's a bit farcical if that was taken away due to a player who isnt even going to show up.

It's all inconsequential anyway. Basketball Australia took a gamble and in a sense, they've lost. Maybe Goorjian turns out to coach them better and they somehow medal but I think keeping a coach that took us to the precipice twice in a row was probably the safer option.

Anyway, all I am saying is dont go making these grand changes again for him. The program is not all about Ben Simmons and nor should it be.

They shouldnt be slammed, but they shouldn't do it again either. They took a chance and it didnt pay off. Next time, dont bet on the same horse.

I don't know that the concessions are that dramatic or entirely due to Simmons. They're flipping between Lemanis (did very well), Brown (ex-NBA coach) and Goorj (one of the best coaches seen in AU). I don't know whether Patrick has runs on the board, but it's not like they brought in Sean Tribe as Boomers head coach.

I'd bet the Yank thing is ribbing him for an affinity to part of his identity. Some people have that - Bogut has it for Croatia, part of my family has it.

Beyond that, not everyone has some "bleed for their country" thing. I don't have any great affinity for Australia. I enjoy following the Boomers, but I don't get incensed if a player doesn't put it above everything else in their life.

After the play-off series Simmons had, I don't blame him for leaning towards clearing his head. It's quite possible he had every intention of suiting up before that post-season played out.

I think you can appreciate the commitment of someone like Mills without needing to cut down Simmons as dramatically as people have.

Fair points, Isaac.

I suspect that BA heard what they wanted to hear when they spoke with Ben, and then saw the $$$ which would come from the massive marketing opportunity.

Andre was probably collateral damage, although as you pointed out they could have gone with any of the 3 coaches and not been wrong.

'I don't have any great affinity for Australia'

This likely the difference in your stance with some of us that have a greater affinity with Australia. Watching the Olympics and having athletes bleed for their country is what a lot of us are used to.

Been saying Ben won't be at the Olympics since early last year and I'll go further - he'll never play for the Boomers ever again. Doesn't seem he has any passion for it. If I was BA, I wouldn't try to placate Ben. If he wants to play, he needs to come to BA and show he wants to.

Also wonder if Ben gave that homeless person any money??

Apologies if this has already been said, but I think the most frustrating thing for us in here that would give our eye teeth or other parts of the anatomy to represent our country in ANYTHING, is the constant flip-flopping from Simmons.

If he had come out years ago and said "Look, playing for Australia isn't a priority for me. I want to concentrate on my NBA career", then whilst baffling to many, understandable and completely his choice.

But to back and forth and then pull out AGAIN, no wonder people are miffed.

You know Ben personally and his 'obvious situation'? How do you know he's just not laughing all the way to the bank with no care whatsoever? You have no clue like the rest of us, so no ones opinion on this is wrong or right.

I see this move as bad for Simmons in multiple ways:

HIS STOCK
This weakens his stock even further. It is yet another example of Simmons shying away from a more challenging, higher pressure option. He shrinks in the playoffs, and he completely avoids the challenge of the real world championships (or Olympics equivalent). It was an opportunity to demonstrate better FT shooting, because surely, the only way is up after going under 40% in NBA playoffs. It strengthens the argument that his mental strength is his real weakness. A major weakness. Not a leader. Not a franchise player.

HIS GAME
He and his team are dreaming if they think practicing free-throws in a gym will make the difference to his game. He needs mentorship. Sam Cassell may be helping, but he is still surrounded by a team and fans that are highly critical of him, which applies even more pressure on him. Surrounding himself with grounded, supportive veterans, in a new environment, a new system, surrounded by shooters, is worth exploring as an option. He might learn a thing or two. It may not be the solution to his flaws, but it might help and wouldn't hurt.

FAN ADMIRATION
In Australia, he could've redeemed himself. He could've become a Boomers legend. He's the best player -- no, most talented player -- Australia has ever produced. He could've built his brand in Australia and been a face of the Olympics. Instead, he pulls out late, again. He appears even less connected to Australia. He has become difficult to support. It's tough to find Simmons fans now, even in Australia. He appears so mentally weak that he is either manipulated by others (Clutch? 76ers?) to avoid the Olympics, or he simply evades making the call until he is forced into it, once again. In USA, he is already a laughing stock. In this off-season he will probably pop up on Instagram showing compilation videos of him draining 3s against scrubs. He will be pumped up, but it's all a mirage if he doesn't fix the actual problem with his game.

He would fit into the US team easily enough, where he wouldn't be carrying the hyper level of responsibility or national expectations that he would in the Boomers.

I can see him taking out US citizenship in the next few years in order to achieve this.

Good point Kober.
There are some who forget about facts.

Gus, the thing that changed between the two recent "flip-flops" is that he got serious yips on a massive stage in a way that can only come down to a psychological scenario. Surely you can see how someone might express interest in suiting and then have to walk it back under pressure on multiple fronts?

Senator11, yeah, I can just imagine it: "My favourite thing is laughing all the way to the bank. My latest money making plan is having a gradual collapse under intense pressure in front of millions of people across the planet to the point where the team could barely play me, I made a catastrophic season-ending decision under mental duress and then the coach and my star team-mate were both so thrown off by this that they threw me under the bus. Which then sparked discussions about whether I had any trade value at all. Just wait for the millions to roll in. What a great plan!"

Absolutely no issue in deciding he's not overly passionate about it, and that he's not worth concessions, that he's possibly coddled or has character flaws like the rest of us. Loads of interesting basketball discussions come out of it. But there's clearly a mental health issue. There are potentially stipulations from his employer. And there are some pretty ridiculous and petty reactions here.

"And there are some pretty ridiculous and petty reactions here"

Sums it up.

Lol, I'm playing devils advocate here to prove a point that no one actually knows what's happening behind the scenes, yet you 2 are on your high horse basically saying your opinion is more correct than anyone else's.

At the end of the day, Ben's doing what's best for himself in his own opinion and those who are closest to him. Ppl can have their opinion of the situation without being self righteous about it...

Yeah, I have my opinions on it obviously but I am done talking about Ben Simmons in any Boomers context until I actually see him in the green and gold. Until then , he's basically Australia's Steven Adams.

I haven't looked at his stats but how much has his 3pt shooting improved if any since last season? He was supposedly working on his shooting last off season and it made world news when he a made a 3 pointer during a game early in the season. You're either a good shooter or not especially at this stage of his career and its still an issue. Its mostly mental with him and i believe being around his Aussie team mates for a few weeks would have been the best thing to happen.

I don't think he did take a 3 this year, that was last year maybe?

Simmons is a dual citizen.

However, re-reading the relevant FIBA regulations, it does seem like he can't play for the USA as you say.
"A player who has played in a main official competition (see article 2-1) of FIBA before reaching his seventeenth (17) birthday may play for a national team of another country if both national member federations agree; in the absence of an agreement the Secretary General decides."

He made his senior debut for Australia in the 2013 FIBA Oceania Championship against New Zealand. I seems that he'd just turned 17, which I hadn't realised.

There are other provisions to allow playing for two countries but they don't apply to him.

Happy to be corrected.

Goorj is greater than Lemanis in all ways, so I wouldnt be worried about that move, if Ben was the reason for that, then I thank him for that much.

Pity he isnt playing, but he is clearly not keen, he can make his excuses and reasons all he likes, he just clearly wants to relax and party all off season, his choice, but give me a break on the oh hes going to be working on his shot all off season like we heard 2 years ago, when he did nothing extra and his team mate Danny Green has referred to him as lazy on a podcast recently.

He can do what he wants, but I wont be expecting Ben to play Boomers or believe its happening until i see it.

The upside is, we have a great team that should be top 4 without him, and with additions like Thybulle, Green, Exum we have extra length and athleticism in the wing /guard spots to levels we havent had before.

Who said you can't have an opinion about it?

Fair call about the childish behaviour and specific comments, none of which I said, maybe ppl who make those comments just need more time to process it and speak before that time. It's also fair that people are incredibly disappointed with less of a chance to finally medal at an Olympics game, and we also know in forums ppl say things they wouldn't necessarily say in real life to a group of strangers.

Worst I said was, 'hope he's traded to a bottom 4 side' which was more tongue in cheek, but also would show him how good he has it now on a great team with great players and how much harder it would be if he ended up somewhere like OKC.

Simmons can't play for the USA or any other country because he's already played for Australia.

Anyway I think we all knew this was coming and hopefully BA rule a line through Simmons from now on. No more mollycoddling, no more sticking his buddies on the coaching staff, no more picking the head coach with him in mind etc.

The guy simply does not care enough about playing for Australia it is an honour, not a right but an honor to wear the green & gold it's an absolute privilege and he keeps turning around and spitting it back in the country's face. No more this should be his last chance. Guys like Patty Mills would run through a brick wall for the country not Simmons though can't be bothered too busy gallivanting around in London.

Fair enough.

Entertainingly hilarious thread as always Hoopsters. Some of the drivel trotted out on the Boomers apparent success or why they didn't succeed when others have is hilarious. Signature ME drivel

Very easy way to measure success - MEDALS

And we have none. The window has shut and while it’s hard to take people, let’s just own that we farked up by not giving these guys the best chance with a coach proven they can deliver while this group was at the peak.

With respect to my mate ME, you haven’t even nade the bast or most delusional comment in the thread. That prize goes to whoever made this comment:

'He actually can shoot, just doesn’t like to because he’s a perfectionist’ :)

Keepin doin you Hoopsters !!

I CHOOSE NOT TO SHOOT !

The medal window hasnt shut. We are bringing a better team man-for-man this year than we had in 2019 and 2016 and both times we were knocking on that medal window. The only position we are not stronger in is replacing Reath for Bogut. we are going to have more athleticism, length and better wing defense than we've ever had. I remember hearing all this catastophizing before the world cup as well.. and we were right on the door step then. I am not shrugging off their ability to get it together just because they dont have a coach who has medalled before. Someone medalling with Spain or France or whoever doesnt automatically mean they'll make an Australian team with Australian players, half of which from an Australian league win a medal. It just doesnt work like that. Only an idiot would think Lemanis did anything short of a great job with that team.

"That prize goes to whoever made this comment:

'He actually can shoot, just doesn't like to because he’s a perfectionist’ :)"

Not sure that Stephen A Smith is a credible source, but:

"Smith said the text came from someone "very, very close to the situation" and read as follows: “He doesn’t work, he doesn’t listen, and everyone around him is family, and he’s constantly babied.”

As for his shooting, I believe he can shoot much better than his numbers suggest. Is it a statistical coincidence that he shot 78% from the FT line when his team was down 1-5, but just 53% if tied or down 1-5? I recall he was shooting mid-range shots in the U17 tournament for the Emus. There's now a psychological barrier with his shot.

* 53% if tied or up 1-5. (The worst situation if you worry about choking.)

I never shoot in games, and when I rarely do, I miss, but my mates, one who's a local journo, have seen me make shots at training, so I’m actually a great shooter, I just choose not to shoot as I can’t make every one.

Lemanis was serviceable and I really like his style. But came up short when the pressure was on - the tanking disgrace then EOG play shambles v Turkey, the semi capitulation and further EOG turnover v Spain in Brazil, blowing massive leads in the semi and bronze games at last worlds.

The international sentiment re the Boomers are that they are highly talented but will crack when the money is on the line, which we’ve proved time and time again.

My point is why do we keep recreating the same situation - persisting with Lemanis, re-appointing Brown,Goorj, all coaches who haven’t succeeded internationally before ?

I clearly don’t get it like you guys do but there must be a reason why we haven’t chased a Scariolo, Djordjevic et al. It may be just money and availability which is all good, but I think I know the real reason.

Anyhow it’s all done, I’ll be willing on the Boomers in every game as I always have, and will look forward to celebrating another plucky true blue performance which does us proud and finishes 7th.

"My point is why do we keep recreating the same situation - persisting with Lemanis, re-appointing Brown,Goorj, all coaches who haven't succeeded internationally before ?"

I think what you're trying to say is, Gleeson. :P

You see anon, I choose not to shoot as I know there is no way I can make every one. I'm a perfectionist. I spend all my spare time practicing my shooting to become a great(er) shooter, even though I don't really need to as I'm alreday a great shooter. I never go on holidays in London, or play for my representative team, so I can practice my shooting, even though I'm allready an great shooter, and even though choose not to shoot anyway (cause i'm a perfectionist), and when I do have to shoot I miss. But I am a great shooter.

Now some haters say that being a great shooter (that I am) might actually be pretty useless if I a) actually dont shoot or b) when I do I miss, but I just I am a great shooter cause Jackie Mac says so and my team mates have seen me make a shot I just choose not to shoot and miss when I do.

According to New York Daily News Simmons has discord with the Boomers and Ingles in particular.
Anyone know more about this?

discord
noun
/ˈdɪskɔːd/
1.
disagreement between people.
"a prosperous family who showed no signs of discord"

#708 gold!! (ignoring the opposite of 'guy')

The guy was clearly thinking of the chat software so I made it as clear as possible to him that it's actually a word.

Hmmmm
Read it yesterday but seems to have been removed now.