Robert Covington played with the Philadelphia 76ers for 4 seasons from 2014 to 2018 and he was actually one of the more beloved players that the franchise has seen. However, it seems like RoCo doesn’t remember his time in Philly too fondly, he recently spoke out about the treatment that Ben Simmons received when he came back to the city for the first time since his trade to the Brooklyn Nets.
Simmons wasn’t playing but he was with the team at the Wells Fargo Center when they absolutely dominated the Sixers. Simmons was subjected to chants and boos, most of them filled with some unsavory language, but the Nets winning really changed the mood of the game around after a point. However, Covington wasn’t surprised by the hostility shown by some Philly fans, commenting as much on a post by Bleacher Report.
Former Sixer Robert Covington (IG user atf_33) chimes in on Ben Simmons' reception last night: pic.twitter.com/HXqu4kReiE
— Austin Krell (@NBAKrell) March 12, 2022
A fan started chatting to Simmons about the supposed grievances he was going to file to get back some of the salary he lost to the Sixers thanks to his fines, and Kyrie took exception, telling him to grow up. this incident drew a comment from Covington, who expressed his lack of faith in the fans of the Sixers in a comment referring to the incident.
atf_33: “Philly at it’s finest. Now you see why he wanted to leave.”
Ben Simmons struggled with the criticism he received from the franchise as well as the fanbase for his lack of a three-point shot and his poor performances during the playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks. The situation deteriorating is what led to Ben’s departure but Philly was able to land James Harden in the same trade.
The animosity between the Nets and the Sixers is one of the NBA’s most compelling storylines but Covington chiming about a fanbase that has mostly supported him does seem a bit odd. In any case, if the two teams end up facing one another in the playoffs this season, the atmosphere. and hostility is likely to be way more intense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lums0Xsl_As
