When the Philadelphia 76ers host the Brooklyn Nets in a highly anticipated matchup on Thursday, it promises to be a charged atmosphere inside the Wells Fargo Center.
Not only will it be a matchup of stars with Joel Embiid and James Harden on one side while Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are on the other, but it will also mark the return of Ben Simmons.
Simmons spent five seasons — playing in four — with the Sixers, and they were some successful seasons. However, the playoff failures and his refusal to add a jumper frustrated the fan base in Philadelphia. The last straw was in 2021 when he suffered through a dismal postseason and then requested a trade in August.
What transpired was an ugly stalemate. The Sixers wanted him back with the team. Simmons wanted nothing to do with them. His camp said he was not mentally ready to play for the Sixers again. He finally got his trade wish as he was moved to the Nets on Feb. 10.
Simmons will not play on Thursday for Brooklyn, but he is expected to be in the building and be on the bench. Nets coach Steve Nash says Simmons understands what’s going to come from Sixers fans that night.
Steve Nash said Ben Simmons is fully aware of the reaction he’ll get. Nash said it’ll be good for him to face, and the All-Star wants to be on the bench supporting his #Nets teammates. #Sixers
— Brian Lewis (@NYPost_Lewis) March 8, 2022
For Simmons, it is better for him to get it out of the way now rather than in a potential playoff series where things will be worse for him due to the stakes.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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