While the break-up between the 76ers and Ben Simmons came over a year ago, it appears as though neither side has gotten over it. It's still on Simmons' mind, anyway.
On Sunday, all eyes in the basketball world were on TD Garden, where the Sixers visited the Celtics for a crucial Game 7. After a hard-fought first half, things quickly went south for Philadelphia, which trailed by as many as 30 points before losing by 24.
Naturally, Simmons took to Instagram while the Sixers faced the aforementioned 30-point deficit, updating his story with a photo of the game, indicating that he was watching the blowout unfold in real time.
Meanwhile… pic.twitter.com/Ltn0FdfEF3
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) May 14, 2023
The photo features no text or any further context, just the screen displaying a 108-78 tally, plenty of furniture, a bottle of water, and a glass of wine.
MORE: Doc Rivers adds to ugly Game 7 history with blowout loss vs. Celtics
It's highly unlikely that Simmons' choice to post this photo is coincidental. His time in Philadelphia came to an unceremonious end after a Game 7 loss in the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals.
From there came a months-long dispute between Simmons and the Sixers franchise, complete with a training camp holdout, a trade request, and plenty of passive-aggressive messaging.
Somewhere along the way, Simmons became public enemy No. 1 of Philadelphia sports fans.
MORE: How Ben Simmons went from top pick to Philly's biggest enemy
On Feb. 10, 2022, the saga came to an end as the Sixers traded Simmons to the Nets in exchange for James Harden. Shortly after the deal was done, Joel Embiid took to Twitter to share a photo associated with the viral meme of a man stopping by "one of my biggest hater's funerals."
Real subtle, Mr. Embiid.
— Joel “Troel” Embiid (@JoelEmbiid) February 10, 2022
15 months later, Simmons apparently decided to give trolling a try — it's highly unlikely that he just began watching the game at that particular moment. And the Instagram story highlights the Sixers in a much worse position than they were during the Game 7 which caused everything to fall apart two years ago.
An injury held Simmons out of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, where his Nets were swept by the 76ers in the opening round. Playoff loss aside, the Instagram story would suggest that Simmons will be getting the last laugh. At least for now.
