“I assure you, they’re waiting for him”- Stephen A. Smith believes it will be a "nightmare" for Ben Simmons to play in Philadelphia, says he let 76ers fans down
New Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons has been training with his teammates, building chemistry. He will reportedly first play for the Nets on March 8 as fans look forward to seeing him on the court.
The Nets will go on the road against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 10 with the potential of Simmons playing. Philadelphia small forward Danny Green said Wednesday that the "Fresh Prince" will be met with a tough crowd if he does play.
Smith agreed with the three-time NBA champion, saying it will be a "nightmare" for the point guard when he returns to the city. Having worked in Philadelphia for 17 years, Smith claims to know the city well enough to ascertain the mood they would be in.
"It's going to be a nightmare for Ben Simmons, if Ben Simmons comes there on March 10th to play against the Philadelphia 76ers," Smith said. "The city is going to let him have it. And if we're being totally honest, he will have deserved it. Not from the players, not from me, not from pundits and commentators but from the fans themselves? Yes!
"He let them down. He screwed them over."
Ben Simmons stands a chance of clinching his first NBA championship title with the Brooklyn Nets
Simmons, a three-time All-Star, hasn't played this season. His last NBA game was in June in a disastrous Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Atlanta Hawks. The 2018 Rookie of the Year was hell bent on leaving the Philadelphia 76ers as he held out for a trade.
Ben Simmons is nearing his Brooklyn debut, per @ramonashelburne
Simmons plans to "really ramp it up" this week https://t.co/WafP72ojhf
The 76ers held their ground as the organization wanted to get an All-Star in return for Simmons. Simmons was fined for every game missed, getting penalized around $19 million.
During the trade deadline on Feb. 10, he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets alongside Seth Curry and Andre Drummond for 11-time All-Star James Harden. The move to the Nets will see the 25-year old have a good shot at the championship title with an amazing roster that includes the phenomenal Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
Simmons was the No. 1 pick out of Louisiana State University in 2016.