For a second consecutive year, Ben Simmons is getting dunked on by the archive gods.
Simmons and the Brooklyn Nets were officially swept out of the first round on Saturday by the Philadelphia 76ers (ironically, Simmons’ former team). The Nets got zero total minutes in the series from Simmons, who had not played at all since mid-February due to a back injury.
After Brooklyn’s elimination, an old tweet by Simmons went viral. Simmons tweeted back in 2020 (when he was on the 76ers) that it hurt to watch his team get swept and that he did not want to ever feel that way again. The 76ers had gotten swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round that year.
Watching my team get swept hurt, and I don’t ever want to feel that way again.
— Ben Simmons (@BenSimmons25) August 24, 2020
But since that tweet, Simmons and the Nets (whom he joined via trade in 2022) have gotten swept in two straight years. They lost in four games to the Celtics last season and then did so again to the 76ers this season. Simmons did not play a single game in either series, so he was, indeed, “watching my team get swept” … and then get swept again.
There was greater controversy with Simmons’ absence last year, so perhaps this stands as some improvement. But Nets fans cannot be feeling too good right now about Simmons, who has made just 42 total appearances for them over two seasons and is still owed $78 million (yes, really) over the next two.
