Simply another day on the home court of the Philadelphia 76ers was distinguished by the shrill boos that greeted Australian basketball superstar Ben Simmons.
Since his controversial exit from the 76ers in 2022, this was Simmons’ third fall-in with the Philadelphia crowd.
Undeterred by the hostility, Simmons not only played but provoked the audience to boo louder during warmups.
It was after a downbeat playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, in 2021, when Simmons expressed his wish to be traded.
Skipping the preseason and sitting out during regular matches, Simmons set his heart on an exit which was ultimately granted when he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets.
Speaking after the game, the three-time All-Star Simmons seemed to find the continuous booing amusing.
“This is what? My second (or) third time back, so it’s a little different now,” Simmons said. “It’s funny to me. I got grown men pissed off and yelling at me. I get to go home after this, get the win. For me, I’m all about winning, so come here, do our job, and get to go home. But it’s fun, I enjoy that. It’s not that deep, it’s sports but it comes with it, so I enjoy it.”
“It’s funny to me. Like, I got grown men pissed off and yelling at me.”
Ben Simmons on dealing with the boos from the Philadelphia crowd 😅
(via @erikslater_) pic.twitter.com/0FR8zt5pUu
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 4, 2024
Given the unyielding character of Philadelphia 76ers fans, Simmons could brace himself for further booing in forthcoming fixtures.
“They’re not the types to let go,” he acknowledged. The 27-year-old can expect more boos when the Brooklyn Nets play against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 14th in the city of Philadelphia.
The Nets defeated the game with a 136-121 blowout victory against the 76ers. Simmons contributed 9 rebounds and 5 assists in just 14 minutes of his time on court.
Impressively, this marked Simmons’ first victory on the Philadelphia court since his abrupt exit.
