"Grown men pissed off & yelling at me" - Ben Simmons coolly brushes off 76ers fans booing his return in Philadelphia
Ben Simmons is used to getting hate and jeers from NBA fans. His return to the Philadelphia 76ers has brought those boos once again. However, it seems Ben Simmons has adjusted his reaction to the noise. A player who once sat out games due to mental health reasons seems unbothered by the disdain from the crowd.
Simmons commented on the hate and booing he received after the Brooklyn Nets defeated the host 76ers 136-121. Simmons has a long and troubled history with Philly fans.
“It’s funny to me. I got grown men pissed off and yelling at me,” Simmons said. “It’s not that deep. But it’s sports, it comes with it, so I enjoy it.”
It was just Simmons’s second game since returning from a back injury. He played 14 minutes and finished with zero points on zero shots. He did add nine rebounds and five assists.
The fans relentlessly booed Simmons every time he touched the ball throughout the game. They poured it on every time he turned it over or missed a pass. When Simmons fouled an opponent, they were right there for a sarcastic cheer.
It was nothing near a warm welcome back for Simmons. It was just his third game in Philadelphia since the trade that sent him to Brooklyn in February 2022 for James Harden. He has never received a friendly ovation upon his return to his former team.
Ben Simmons' injury concerns
Ben Simmons returned on Monday after missing 38 games with a back injury this season. He then reinjured his back in his first game back and sat out Brooklyn’s loss against the Phoenix Suns.
He then returned to play 14 minutes against the Sixers on Saturday. His quick return was a good sign of progress. Neats coach Jacque Vaughn said it is not an injury that will linger.
“That is not at all something that’s going to linger,” Vaughn said. “Something that just acutely happened in the game [Wednesday], and a couple days of treatment, responded to and hopefully we continue down the path of playing.”
The Nets will hope Simmons brings some speed and defense to their pursuit of the play-in tournament. He can still provide playmaking and perimeter length, which Brooklyn desperately needs.
While limited, Simmons showed off interesting chemistry with Cam Thomas. He also spent most of his minutes on the floor running the second unit, which would add tremendous depth to Brooklyn’s rotation if he stays healthy.