In what was generally already accepted as public knowledge, Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons finally confirmed this week that he is indeed dating model and reality television star Kendall Jenner, saying the romance is “going great.”
The super-couple have been spotted publicly together for months, with rumors of a relationship going all the way back to May. Simmons said the reasons behind waiting so long to make it official was related to his desire for privacy.
“It is one of those things that I don’t like to talk about too much, because it is personal,” Simmons told The Daily Telegraph.
Simmons also sounded reticent to become ensnared in the scrutiny and paparazzi-based frenzy inherent to a relationship with a high-profile partner like Jenner.
“I am not a social influencer or a reality TV star,” Simmons said. “I am a basketball player first … that is how I want people to look at me.”
While Simmons seems to abhor the attention, it appears he has become somewhat accustomed to it over the course of his relationship with Jenner.
“It (the attention) is something that you just get used to,” Simmons said. “I always find a time when I can relax and not have to worry about too much.”
Simmons obviously is a superstar-caliber NBA talent, coming off a phenomenal season in which he earned Rookie of the Year honors over Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell in a hotly contested race.
Simmons and Jenner have been out in the public on several occasions in recent months. Still, Simmons has maintained a relatively low profile despite all the attention. The only drama seemingly involving Simmons this summer was related to speculation concerning a potential, yet odd, change to his game.
With that in mind, perhaps the relationship with Jenner won’t prove to be that big of a distraction for Simmons.
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