NBA All-Star Ben Simmons paid tribute to the teenager who egged a politician who blamed the Christchurch terror attacks on Muslim immigration.
Australian senator Fraser Anning punched the 17-year-old last week, and some of his fellow politicians are pushing for him to be suspended from parliament. Anning said last week that “the real cause of bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration program which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place.” The attack on two mosques in Christchurch left 50 people dead.
The teenager was not charged over his confrontation with Anning.
Ben Simmons giving a shout out to Egg Boy on court for the 76ers tonight (via @pjsteinfort) pic.twitter.com/zPJMEZ7zwn
— Tom Steinfort (@tomsteinfort) March 19, 2019
Simmons, who is Australian, wore sneakers with the words ‘Egg Boy’ written on them during the Philadelphia 76ers’ victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night. Simmons was the top-scorer on the night, with 28 points for the Sixers. Last week, Simmons wrote the message ‘Pray for NZ’ on his sneakers during a game against the Sacramento Kings.
The 22-year-old Simmons is one of the best young players in the NBA. He also played Australian Rules football as a teenager before moving to the US to concentrate on basketball. He has made his political views clear in the past: in 2017 he attacked Donald Trump. “I think he’s an idiot,” said Simmons. “If we were in Australia right now, a lot of people would call him a dickhead. That’s how I personally feel.”
