The NBA weekend reached its boiling point in the game where the Philadelphia 76ers hosted the conference rival Brooklyn Nets. The home crowd heckled their former player Ben Simmons years after being traded away from Pennsylvania. Reflecting on that instance, the 27-year-old found humour in the endeavours of the 76ers fans as he candidly shared his thoughts.
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In the post-match interview, the Australian mentioned,
“This is what my second-third time back. So, it’s a little different now. It’s funny to me. Like, I got grown men pissed off and yelling at me”.
“It’s fun. I enjoy that. It’s not that deep. It’s sports but it comes with it so I enjoy it,” the 3x All-Star further added while expressing his stance.
The situation circled Simmons’ introduction to the clash in the first quarter with only seven minutes played. The power forward came off the Nets’ bench as the Wells Fargo Center erupted in boos while welcoming back their former star for the third time since the trade. It was an extension of the heckling from the home supporters during the warmup as the 6ft 10″ player embraced the exchange on both occasions.
In the end, the evident passive-aggressive approach of the Melbourne-born paid off as the visitors won 136-121. The 2020 steals leader played a key role in deciding the outcome of the game as he registered 9 rebounds and 5 assists in 14 minutes. It added another layer to the ongoing drama between the franchise and the international star as the relationship continued to worsen over time.
How did the dynamics between Ben Simmon and the Philadelphia 76ers escalate to this extent?
Since entering the league as a number-one prospect in 2016, he became an integral part of the 76ers rebuild. After a remarkable start of his journey, the troubles arose after a miserable 2020/21 post-season run. The lack of ruthlessness from Simmons held the team back at times as he registered the worst-ever free-throw shooting record in history.
Following this, internal problems started to arise within the roster before the player indicated his willingness for a trade. It resulted in a holdout as the organization fined him for missing the training camp and also the pre-season. Several back and forths continued for months damaging their relationship beyond repair.
Eventually, the Nets stepped up their pursuit for the former first overall pick as they landed him in February. Since then, his visits to Pennsylvania have always caused a spectacle with the recent one being no exception. The scars of the supporters are far from being healed as the player admittedly rejoices on the occasion.
