Nets' Ben Simmons makes honest admission about 76ers fans from time in Philadelphia
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Brooklyn Nets guard/forward Ben Simmons has had his fair share of criticism since leaving the Philadelphia 76ers. While his exit was abrupt and not appreciated by many, he’s had a change of heart. After Simmons was recently ruled out in a Nets loss to the 76ers, his appreciation for his former club resurfaced.
He explained on The Young Man and The Three Podcast about what stands out about the Philadelphia fanbase.
“For me going to a city like Philadelphia, I was from Melbourne, Australia, I went to Louisiana, completely different places,” Simmons said. “The fans, I didn't appreciate the fans enough. The fans of Philadelphia are incredible. You always want to play for a team that has a good fan base, whether they're booing or whatever.
“You just want fans to care, you just want the arena packed. So just having that experience in Philadelphia was amazing, I'm so grateful to have gotten to play there and experience the city of Philly, and know what it feels like to play for a team like Philly and play on a winning team. Winning in Philly is different, there's no place like it.”
Nets’ Ben Simmons appreciates the 76ers fanbase’s passion
Not many teams in the NBA, or all of American sports have a fanbase like the 76ers. They are true ride or dies for their respective teams. However, that doesn’t come without its criticism. The current Nets player had plenty of scrutiny about his play, most specifically in the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals.
He passed up an open dunk, which shifted the magnitude of that series. The 76ers would be eliminated by the Atlanta Hawks in that series, and fans had Simmons on a wanted list. Unfortunately, his confidence is still not there all the way. It’s been that way since being traded to Brooklyn.
For instance, even the Nets broadcasting team was sick of Simmons being scared to take a layup. Still, he could end up being one of the biggest busts in recent memory if he doesn’t find his all-star form. Simmons is now playing for the 14-31 Nets, and he's played in only 30 games.
He's already doubled his 15 games played last season and has the chance to break his 42 games played form two years ago. At the end of the day, Simmons could’ve messed up his chances to remain with a winning team. While the 76ers are having their own struggles, they still have the star power like Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey.
Simmons could be thinking a big “what if” in regards to staying in Philadelphia and not opting for Brooklyn.
The post Nets’ Ben Simmons makes honest admission about 76ers fans from time in Philadelphia appeared first on ClutchPoints.
