After four years with the 76ers, young star Ben Simmons severed all ties with the franchise last summer, going ghost mode and refusing to comply with their demands.
What ensued was a long and bitter battle between Simmons and GM Daryl Morey, with both sides essentially playing hardball. But, by the end, Simmons had been sent to Brooklyn and Embiid had himself a new partner in James Harden.
Now that it’s (mostly) all said and done, Simmons can finally look back on his Philly days and reflect on what went wrong. He can also look ahead to his return game in November with excitement and confidence.
Ben Simmons Sends A Message To Sixers Fans Ahead Of Season Matchup
Simmons hasn’t played a game in over a year, but he is ready to prove all the haters wrong when he finally returns to the court later this month. Against Philadelphia, specifically, Simmons seems to really be looking forward to the day.
(via ESPN):
“F—, I can’t wait to go there, yeah,” said Simmons. “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.”
While NBA stars making a return to play against their former teams is nothing new, Simmons is a special case. Considering how badly their breakup went, Sixers fans are likely still feeling sour and they will be out for blood when Ben comes to town for the first time since the trade.
The way he left them, and wasted so much of Joel Embiid’s prime, gave the fanbase reason enough to be resentful, but his comments since leaving have only added fuel to the flame.
Now, after reportedly dealing with mental health issues all last season, Simmons is showing a surprising level of confidence in his chances to have the revenge season we’ve all been waiting for.
