Ben Simmons returned to play in Philadelphia to face the 76ers, and he got the exact reaction you would have expected him to.
This is the game that most Philadelphia 76ers fans have been waiting for since the trade deadline last year. The 76ers traded Ben Simmons, who was sitting out last year with the team, to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a huge deal that sent James Harden to Philadelphia. Simmons didn’t play much last season with the Nets, and recently got out of a shooting slump.
On Tuesday night, Simmons officially made his return to Philadelphia since the aforementioned trade. Considering how his exit transpired, the expectation among the NBA world was that he would get booed out of the building. Well, that’s exactly what happened.
Take a listen to the reception he received at the Wells Fargo Center when he was introduced to the crowd.
Ben Simmons booed out of Philadelphia by 76ers fans in return
If you thought the reception was loud there, take a listen to when he stepped up to the free-throw line to attempt his first points of the game. Despite that, he made both free-throw attempts.
The mercurial former Sixer also made sure to let the Philadelphia crowd know he heard them and was ready to quiet them down.
Simmons last played for the 76ers in Game 7 of the 2020-21 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks advanced, and Simmons struggled throughout the series, notably putting very few shot attempts in Games 5-7. Later in the offseason, Simmons requested a trade and sat out, citing mental health. Then, at the trade deadline earlier in the year, he was dealt to Brooklyn.
This season, Simmons struggled making his shots. But in the team’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies this past Sunday, Simmons made 11-of-13 shots for a season-high 22 points.
In case you didn’t watch the game or follow it on social media, and wanted to know if Simmons got booed, the answer is yes.