Ben Simmons received a fairly predictable response from Philadelphia 76ers fans when he appeared on the floor prior to Thursday’s game against his former team. However, he got some cheers, too, albeit for a sarcastic reason.
Simmons traveled for Thursday’s game in Philadelphia, though he has yet to make his Brooklyn Nets debut and did not do so Thursday. He did, however, get some work in on the floor prior to the game, giving 76ers fans a chance to boo him. Naturally, they did not miss their chance to do so.
Ben Simmons has taken the floor in Philly. pic.twitter.com/UCMJqkqifH
— Nets Videos (@SNYNets) March 10, 2022
Surprisingly, Simmons did get a cheer out of the crowd. That said, it was a sarcastic one, and it came in response to a one-handed dunk he casually put down.
Not Sixers fans jokingly cheering a Ben Simmons dunk 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/tMZY9hhRg3
— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) March 10, 2022
Remember, Simmons infamously passed up what looked like a clean dunk during the 76ers’ Game 7 loss to Atlanta in the 2021 playoffs. The play essentially sealed his fate in Philadelphia, and even Joel Embiid threw Simmons under the bus for it in the immediate aftermath of that game.
Simmons did get some fodder for his grievance case, which he may have been looking for. He also got this, and it’s certainly hard to see this as anything that crossed a line or explicitly bad-natured.
Photo: Jan 30, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons (25) talks to fans before a game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
