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Ben Simmons' return to Philadelphia on Nov. 22 will be one of the most anticipated regular-season games in recent NBA memory.
The former No. 1 pick's departure from The City of Brotherly Love proved increasingly bitter last season with Simmons sitting out the first 54 games of the 76ers' season. He was eventually traded to Brooklyn in a blockbuster deal for James Harden and will play in his first regular-season game in nearly 16 months on Oct. 19.
Philadelphia has gained a reputation as one of the most hostile environments in the NBA. While his standing with the fan base takes that to another level, Simmons is not shying away from his return.
“F—, I can't wait to go there,” Ben Simmons told ESPN reporter Nick Friedell. “But for me, everything's an experience and a learning situation. So for me I'm able to learn something that I've never been through before. I've never been traded and played against a team that I got traded from. Kev has, Ky has, a lot of guys have, but I've never been in that situation so — you have to go through it. Ky went back to Boston, and he didn't play well, but it's a lot. We're people, too. We want to go out there and prove everyone wrong.”
Simmons did appear at Wells Fargo Center on the Nets' bench during a 129-100 blowout win last March. He did not play, but the boo birds were flying in full force, with a host of fans even waiting outside Brooklyn's hotel to heckle the former Sixer on his way to the bus. The three-time All-Star said the hostility comes with the territory when playing in Philadelphia.
Ben Simmons sneaking out of hotel trying to avoid heckling fans. @FOX29philly pic.twitter.com/VjnQipa6n2
— Chris O'Connell (@CoconnellFox29) March 10, 2022
“I don't take it personally,” he said. “I don't know them. They don't know me. They know the basketball side of me, but that's not who I am as a person. And that's the competitive nature of being in a hostile place like Philadelphia, you know? I was drafted there, it ended in a way where not everyone was happy about it, but that's basketball, right? And it's Philly. Like I don't know if that's happening in Indiana or anything like that. That's Philly. That's Philly for you.”
Ben Simmons has become a polarizing figure during his six years in the NBA. The 6-foot-11 point forward is an extremely rare talent with his high-level ball handling, passing and ability to guard1 through 5. However, his lack of a jump shot has been a point of contention that grew with Philadelphia's lack of playoff success.
This appeared to take a toll on the 26-year-old mentally and reached a boiling point in the 76ers' second-round loss in the 2021 playoffs, with Simmons passing up a wide-open dunk late in the fourth quarter of Game 7. Over a year later, Simmons said the criticism is a sign of his capabilities and something he uses as motivation.
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“People know what I can do, what I'm capable of,” he said. I believe that's what it is. Like if I was somebody that wasn't capable of doing certain things, I don't think people would be on my ass as much. And I don't mind it because it kind of motivates me in a way. Obviously, sometimes it's a lot for anybody to deal with that, but I look at it a little bit like a respect thing, in a way. Because if that wasn't the case, then there would be no upside to me doing something well.”
Simmons has played in three preseason games for Brooklyn thus far. There have been bright spots, as well as some ugly moments. The former All-NBA selection turned in his best performance Tuesday night in Milwaukee, posting seven points, eight rebounds and 10 assists while holding Giannis Antetokounmpo to 4-of-16 shooting.
🇦🇺 @BenSimmons25 filling it up in #NBAPreseason for the @BrooklynNets
📊 7 PTS | 10 AST | 8 REB | 2 STL pic.twitter.com/rnQVdqd0EZ
— NBA Australia (@NBA_AU) October 13, 2022
The first-year Net said he can silence the naysayers with his play, something he has found as a common ground with teammates Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
“If I come out and play a great game, then you can't say anything,” Simmons said. “That's why it's kind of cool being on a team with [Durant and Irving] because they've been through different things in their careers, where they can kind of relate.”
Ultimately, Simmons' return to Philadelphia will be nothing more than another step in his re-acclimation to NBA basketball. His Nets teammates and coaches have acknowledged his return will be a process and emphasized the need to be patient. With the season opener less than a week away, Simmons said the atmosphere in Brooklyn feels like home.
“I got support from all these guys, the coaching staff, the organization, so it's up to me to go out there to do my job now and work… It feels like home. It feels normal to be here and come to work.”
