“I'll always have love for Philly” – Despite being heavily booed by Sixers fans, Ben Simmons calls Philadelphia his ‘second home’
The breakup between the Philadelphia 76ers and Ben Simmons was rough. His exit led to Sixers fans booing him whenever he was in town, but that doesn't mean that the Aussie point guard feels the same way.
Recently, he talked about what his plans are for this season. Although many have written him off, he believes that he can still be a dominant NBA player. The Nets will have a different goal next season, which will give Simmons a chance to prove himself as an All-Star again.
"For me to come back and dominate people will be great," Simmons said. "I don’t intend to come back the same player I was last (season), because that’s not even close to where I am. I get excited because I’m like, 'Damn, I would (expletive) on the player I was last year.'
"But I know where I was at last year, so it’s easy to say that. But it’s just fun to go and do the thing that you love when you’re out there. That’s really it for me. I don’t really ask for too much.
"Sometimes, I think about (my recent struggles). I’m like, 'Damn, that’s a lot.' Sometimes, I sit down and break it down. That was exhausting that I was having to deal with all that. But I feel like there are different situations you can handle, and this is a good test for me. How much worse can it get?"
The three-time All-Star said that he still loves the city of Philadelphia, despite leaving the franchise on terrible terms.
"The injury and everything that was going on didn’t help," Simmons said. "But I think it gave me a chance to really appreciate it. I’ll always have love for Philly. People always ask me like, 'If you were to get traded again, where you want it to be?' I always say, 'Just Philly. Philly is a second home to me.' And in time, you learn and grow as people."
Last season, Ben Simmons had his first full season with the Brooklyn Nets, but it was underwhelming. Due to various injuries, he only played 42 games and logged his worst career stats, averaging 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists.
Should fans expect Ben Simmons to start shooting 3-pointers next season?
Fans have always been hard on Ben Simmons for not adding more weapons to his arsenal. Since getting drafted into the NBA, the 6-foot-10 guard has always had a similar playstyle. His inability to be a consistent threat from beyond the arc has proven to be a problem, which is why the Sixers had enough of it during the 2021-22 season.
Mark Jones recently hinted at Simmons being in great shape, which most fans don't find impressive. Every summer, clips of Simmons being in the best shape of his life often go viral, only to disappoint fans when he doesn't show any of it during the regular season.
Fans have had enough of it and aren't impressed. This time, Ben Simmons may have to actually show what he worked on over the summer.