Ben Simmons booed by 76ers fans in return with Nets, but 'thought it was going to be louder' in Philadelphia

Kyle Irving

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Ben Simmons booed by 76ers fans in return with Nets, but 'thought it was going to be louder' in Philadelphia image

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.

His assessment was not incorrect, as 76ers fans let him hear it the second he stepped on the floor for warmups.

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.

The majority of the fans were right back at it during pregame introductions, letting Simmons hear it when he was announced as a starter.

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."

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.

After the game, Simmons taunted the 76ers crowd, indicating he felt they could have shown out a little better. 

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.

Kyle Irving

Kyle Irving Photo

You read that wrong – not Kyrie Irving. From Boston, graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Sixth season as a content producer for NBA.com's Global editions. Covering the NBA Draft has become his annual "dream come true" moment on the job. Irving has a soft spot for pass-first point guards, with Rajon Rondo and Steve Nash being two of his favorite players of all time.