As a result of Wednesday night's Game 5 loss to the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers have been eliminated from this season's playoff contention. Though it was a down moment, Sixers rookie Ben Simmons found a special way to leave a smile on a fan.
As the players made their way off the court following the game, Simmons took off his jersey and presented it to a Philly fan who was courtside. The smile on the young man's face is both endearing and contagious.
Ben Simmons gives jersey off his back to Sixers fan after loss pic.twitter.com/lp88Fltsmp
— Jeff Skversky (@JeffSkversky) May 10, 2018
Simmons, now 21 years of age, showed a lot of promise in these playoffs, though some critics like to hate on his shot. In 10 postseason games played, the Australian-born guard racked up averages of 16.3 points on 48.8 percent shooting from the field, 9.4 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and just under one block (0.8) in 36.9 minutes per game.
Like most of Sixers Nation, Simmons was not ready for this season to be over just yet, despite the fact that it indeed is. During his post-game media availability, the former No. 1 overall pick was asked to assess his rookie year.
“I know you must be hurting right now,” a reported said to Simmons after Wednesday night's game. “But on a personal level, you've had a hell of a year. Are you proud of what you've been able to achieve in your first season in the NBA?”
“I think, if I look at it, I've been healthy all year,” Simmons replied. “I've been blessed enough to play a full year. So in that way, I look at it as a blessing. To be able to have played in the NBA and had a full year where I haven't been hurt.”
“But the feeling right now is not, you know… I didn't want to be done (playing in the postseason),” Simmons continued with a more serious tone. “I feel like I had a lot more to go, but you have to look at the positives and the negatives and keep moving forward.”
Without a doubt, the Sixers have made great strides in terms of improvement. Let's see if they can keep their momentum rolling into next season.
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