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The Brooklyn Nets stepped into a hostile environment when they traveled down the New Jersey Turnpike to Philadelphia Tuesday. Sixers fans have had the date circled on their calendars since Ben Simmons missed Brooklyn's 129-100 blowout win at Wells Fargo Center last march.
The crowd lived up the hype, mercilessly booing Simmons every time he touched the ball, stepped to the free throw line, checked in, or checked out. Sixers fans mixed in a series of “F*** Ben Simmons!” chants throughout the game. The three-time All-Star responded with a stellar all-around performance that was spoiled by an uninspired effort from his teammates on the way to an embarrassing 115-106 loss.
F–k Ben Simmons chants in Philly 😳 pic.twitter.com/lficDU2pOw
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 11, 2022
While Simmons was the target Tuesday, the entire Brooklyn starting lineup received jeering during pregame introductions. And Kevin Durant said his team should expect that given their reputation among NBA fans.
“Everybody wants to see our team fail. Nobody likes Ben, nobody likes Kyrie, nobody likes myself, so it might be like that at every road arena,” Durant said. “So it's just something we got to deal with. But I thought Ben did a great job of just handling it and playing his game, and we had chances to win, but we just didn't.”
Simmons, Durant, and Irving have each developed reputations as villains among NBA fanbases. Durant's decision to leave Oklahoma City for a Golden State team that had just come back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat him in the Western Conference Finals proved highly controversial. Irving's contentious relationship with Boston's fanbase is well-documented, as well as his flurry of off-court fiascos over the last few seasons.
Kyrie Irving gives middle finger to Celtics crowd 👀 pic.twitter.com/WxKGVwvw0r
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) April 17, 2022
And Simmons' reputation took a hit after he infamously disappeared in the 2021 playoff and forced his way out of Philadelphia by sitting the following season.
When asked why he thought fans didn't like the Nets, Durant called their feelings “misplaced love.”
“It's a lot of stuff that probably factors into it,” he replied. “But when NBA fans don't like you, they really got love for you. It's just misplaced love, I guess. But we get it. At the end of the day, people enjoy watching us play.”
The Nets are no strangers to road hostility after their first-round series in Boston last year and Simmons' reception in Philadelphia Tuesday. And there's a high chance Brooklyn could face either team in the playoffs if they hope to turn this season around.
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“I think it’s gonna be like this forever,” Simmons said of his reception in Philadelphia. “I mean, I don’t really see that changing.”
“There's a lot of emotions,” Durant said of the aggressive environment. “You just want to play well. We know the fans are going to be involved and get excited — not get excited, but just bring their best. But that's in every arena.”
This makes Simmons' high-level two-way performance a welcoming sight for a Nets team whose potential hinges on the three-time All-Star regaining his confidence. Simmons played with an attitude from the opening tip, filling the stat sheet with 11 points, 7 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks in 32 minutes. The former Sixer said he expected the crowd to be louder and even egged them on at several points in the game.
Ben Simmons hits both free throws and gives a shrug to the Sixers crowd 😂pic.twitter.com/fj5nZBf4Yf
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 23, 2022
“They weren’t out there on the floor, so I didn’t think they were going to be an issue either way,” Simmons said of the fans postgame. “I feel like I'm in a good place. I'm happy, I'm doing what I love. So to be out there and have that experience was amazing. Obviously it wasn't the result we wanted. It's frustrating to lose a game like that, but I think it's a good step forward.”
The NBA world voiced widespread doubts regarding Brooklyn's ability to contend following Durant's trade request, Irving's laundry list of off-court issues and Simmons' physical and mental struggles. To the delight of many, those doubts have been justified 18 games in with the Nets posting an 8-10 record.
Durant said the hostility from fans is part of the game in the modern NBA era. And like Simmons, the former MVP doesn't envision it changing any time soon.
“They feel like they're part of the team, they're part of the league, so fans want to be heard,” he said. “The last decade in the NBA a lot of fans have been heard with social (media) and just how we highlight the fans nowadays. You got to appreciate both sides. That's part of the game. I think Ben understands that. We all understand that. The fans really respect us as men, but that's a part of sports; heckling, being targeted out there. It's all a part of it.”
