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“Ben Simmons makes $40 million a year, surely he can handle boos for a couple of hours”: Kevin Durant suggests hysterical math that his new teammate should think of to cope with the Philly fans

Akash Murty
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$177M contract worth Ben Simmons had Kevin Durant fuming for leaving Nets group chat

Kevin Durant thinks Ben Simmons earns enough money through his contract with Philly, to handle the boos from Sixers fans.

The most hostile fans in the entire NBA are ready for March 10th, when the Brooklyn Nets visit Philadelphia. It will be the first time their All-Star point guard returns to Wells Fargo Center after his trade last month.

That trade didn’t come easy for anyone. One of the most frustrating trade sagas started after a rather early exit from last year’s Playoffs when Joel Embiid and Doc Rivers quite openly blamed Ben Simmons for the loss against the Atlanta Hawks in Game-7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Also read: “Shaquille O’Neal had the bounce and speed but not the endurance that Wilt Chamberlain had”: Phil Jackson perfectly broke down the difference between the Lakers legends

Come offseason the 25-year-old decided that he’d force his way out of Philadelphia. As that couldn’t be arranged by Philly due to lack of trade value they were offered in exchange for the 3x All-Star. As the season started Ben cited mental health issues for not taking the court for the team.

That lasted until the midseason trade deadline when the longtime Daryl Morey target James Harden came up as an option for the trade. But those five months were enough for people in Philadelphia to hate their former beloved point guard to the court. And they await his return to shower him with boos.

“Ben Simmons makes $40 million a year, he can handle boos for a couple of hours”: Kevin Durant

When was the last time Slim Reaper held himself back in front of the press or social media? That day has still to come. The Nets MVP believes his new teammate should shrug off all the noise he will hear on his first trip back to his former home.

Classic KD! By saying that he is most certainly not pointing out that the 6’11 point guard is overpaid but just that he should be having the patience to entertain the repercussions that come along with that kind of money and fame.

And also might be hinting that Simmons shouldn’t be thinking of skipping his courtside presence in Philly even if he doesn’t play. Even Steve Nash wouldn’t want him to do exactly what he did during his revolt.

Also read: “Michael Jordan threw his paddle and didn’t talk to anyone for two days”: Bulls legend reacted maniacally to losing to Christian Laettner in a game of ping-pong

Also, Durant has faced an upset crowd a lot in his career. When the 2x Finals MVP joined Golden State in 2016, who were his and OKC Thunder’s most fierce rivals at the time, the crowd booed him every time he visited Oklahoma.

Even now they have not totally forgotten his deed. So he knows what he is talking about while suggesting Ben face the hostile Philly crowd.

About the author

Akash Murty

Akash Murty

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An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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