Ben Simmons makes a hilarious statement when asked if he has spoken to Joel Embiid: "Yeah we're gonna do our secret handshake"
Ben Simmons revealed that he hasn't spoken to former co-star Joel Embiid since his trade to the Brooklyn Nets. On the eve of facing the Philadelphia 76ers, Simmons had a joke or two up his sleeve when he was asked about his equation with Embiid and if they had been in touch. Simmons said (via John Clarke):
"You're not cool with everybody, you're not texting everybody. I think there are just certain people you just don't talk to all the time. I've got friends who I don't talk to all time, but you know, we're still cool. That's just how life went."
Simmons was asked if he would talk to Embiid if they bumped into each other during the game, to which the Aussie guard had a comical response.
"Yeah we're gonna do our secret handshake."
Ben Simmons says he has not spoken to Joel Embiid since he was traded
“You’re not cool with everybody” https://t.co/kvp9ndXZNj
Simmons' final game with the Philadelphia Sixers, the Game 7 contest against the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 conference semis, didn't go according to plans. He passed on a dunk in the clutch moments of the game, which may have favored the Hawks in bagging and advancing to the conference finals.
After the game, Embiid didn't hold back his thoughts about Simmons giving up the scoring opportunity. He said:
“I’ll be honest: I thought the turning point was when we had an open shot, and we made one free throw and we missed the other, and they came down and scored.”
That may have sparked a beef between the two former co-stars. Ben Simmons refused to play for the Philadelphia 76ers before his trade to the Nets at the deadline earlier this year, which probably indicates they haven't spoken to each other since the Game 7 loss to the Hawks.
Ben Simmons looked poised in return to Philadelphia but Nets suffer a surprising loss
Ben Simmons and the Brooklyn Nets had an excellent chance to win against the Philadelphia 76ers on the road. The Sixers were without Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and James Harden, their three best players. Meanwhile, Brooklyn had a healthy roster with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Simmons all in action.
However, the Sixers were the better team for most of the night as they secured a 115-106 loss. As expected, Simmons received a hostile reception from the 76ers faithful in his first game back at the Wells Fargo Center since the 2021 playoffs.
Also read: Sixers fans boo Ben Simmons as he takes the court to play against his former team
Simmons didn't seem to be rattled by the crowd, though. He played a decent game on both sides of the ball and almost notched up a triple-double. He bagged 11 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists, three steals and blocks apiece.
The Australian guard also had some support in the stands as he was spotted signing autographs and clicking pictures before the game. Simmons was mentally prepared to face his former team on the road, so that's a positive the Nets can take home following a disappointing loss.
Simmons has struggled to cope with the pressure mentally since the start of the year. However, he seems to have overcome that over the last few games. He has bagged at least ten points in his past four games, including a season-high 22-point outing in the 127-115 win over the Grizzlies on Sunday.
Also read: Ben Simmons on catching up to his old form again: “But then my body's trying to catch up”