Ben Simmons was one of the most scrutinized athletes that have ever played for the city of Philadelphia during his time on the 76ers. Many criticized him for his playoff performance against the Atlanta Hawks last season, one that ultimately led to his trade away from the franchise.
There’s no doubt that a lot of fans will likely heckle Ben Simmons upon his return to Philadelphia for the upcoming Nets-76ers matchup. Shams Charania has already revealed that Ben Simmons will be on the bench with the Nets, though he won’t be playing.
“Ben Simmons will not play in Thursday’s Nets-76ers – but is expected to make the return trip to Philadelphia and join team on bench inside Wells Fargo Center, sources say.”
Kevin Durant has recently spoken out about fans potentially heckling Ben Simmons, claiming that “some people don’t even enjoy basketball”, obviously referring to the fans that plan to focus on booing Ben Simmons.
KD spoke on fans heckling Ben Simmons in his return to Philly. pic.twitter.com/9Tacpc8s8A
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 9, 2022
Some people don’t even enjoy basketball. Their lives are so Sh**ty that they get to just aim it at other people.
It is good to see Kevin Durant support his teammate, and call out the opposing fans for focusing on trying to bring down Ben Simmons. Hopefully, the heckling won’t be too bad for Ben Simmons when he comes back to face his former franchise, but knowing Philadelphia fans, he might be in for a long night.
Ben Simmons can provide a lot for the Brooklyn Nets when he does play, as he is a fantastic rebounder, playmaker, and defender. He can help make life easier for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving by getting them easy shots, and they in turn will allow him to play a comfortable role where he doesn’t have to be a top-tier scorer. The Brooklyn Nets are clearly a talented team when fully healthy, and hopefully we get to see them at full strength sooner rather than later.
