The day finally came for Ben Simmons to face the Philadelphia fan base.
On Tuesday night, Simmons made his return to Philly with the Nets taking on the 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center, marking his first contest against the franchise that drafted him first overall in 2016.
There is no love lost between Simmons and Philadelphia, as the All-Star guard's tenure with the Sixers ended on a tumultuous note after being traded to Brooklyn last season. Following the trade, the Nets did face off against the 76ers in Philadelphia last year, but Simmons was still sidelined with a back injury and did not play.
That didn't stop Sixers fans from giving him a preview of what was to come tonight, but there was never a doubt they would save their best (or worst) for when Simmons was actually competing on the floor.
Simmons spoke candidly ahead of his return to Philadelphia, knowing exactly what to expect ahead of the opening tip.
Ben Simmons knows what's coming in Philly 😅 pic.twitter.com/uoOXz1a2wg
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 21, 2022
His assessment was not incorrect, as 76ers fans let him hear it the second he stepped on the floor for warmups.
Ben Simmons takes the floor for warmups and is met with boos from Sixers fans 😬
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) November 23, 2022
(via @BySamDiGiovanni) pic.twitter.com/uKNjwEUjsH
However, there were some Philly fans who handled the situation differently, awaiting the opportunity to get an autograph or take pictures with the former franchise cornerstone.
Ben Simmons signing autographs for fans. The moment he jogged off the court, fans quickly ran to the tunnel. pic.twitter.com/BmTP8U5enC
— Chris Milholen (@CMilholenSB) November 22, 2022
The majority of the fans were right back at it during pregame introductions, letting Simmons hear it when he was announced as a starter.
Ben Simmons gets LOUD boos during his starter intro in Philly. pic.twitter.com/3UFtMA2tB3
— Chris Milholen (@CMilholenSB) November 23, 2022
When the game tipped off, it was Simmons who would get the first laugh, knocking down a pair of free throws before hitting his haters with a "Jordan shrug."
Ben Simmons after hitting both free throws. 🤷♂️
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) November 23, 2022
(h/t @_Talkin_NBA)
pic.twitter.com/VZf0eNP3tm
Simmons turned in a solid performance in the 115-106 loss, recording 11 points on 4-o-f7 shooting, adding 11 assists, seven rebounds, three steals, and three blocks.
🇦🇺 @BenSimmons25 made his return to Philadelphia today, but the short-handed 76ers got the W.
— NBA Australia (@NBA_AU) November 23, 2022
📊 11 PTS | 11 AST | 7 REB | 3 STL | 3 BLK pic.twitter.com/8HRm9PRhDv
After the game, Simmons taunted the 76ers crowd, indicating he felt they could have shown out a little better.
"I thought it was going to be louder."
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) November 23, 2022
Ben Simmons on the boos from the crowd in his return to Philly 👀pic.twitter.com/X3LX59aubf
When asked postgame about the potential of connecting with former teammate Joel Embiid, Simmons said, "you're not cool with everybody," while joking they planned to do their secret handshake.
Ben Simmons says he has not spoken to Joel Embiid since he was traded
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) November 23, 2022
“You’re not cool with everybody” pic.twitter.com/kvp9ndXZNj