To say that Ben Simmons isn't a fan favorite at Wells Fargo Center could be a bit of an understatement. His meltdown in the playoffs and how he dealt with his desire to leave made him one of the most infamous players in Philadelphia 76ers' history.
And that goes beyond the fans. His teammates repeatedly tried to reach out to him but to no avail. He reportedly snubbed them more than once and it didn't sit well in the locker room.
Now, Simmons will get a fresh start in Brooklyn but not entirely. He was traded alongside Seth Curry and Andre Drummond—two guys he wasn't exactly friends with; according to Danny Green:
“Interesting dynamic of how things went down. Interesting dynamic of who went with [Simmons],” Green told NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I haven’t gotten a chance to talk to [Curry and Drummond] yet, but I know they weren’t on the most of cordial terms when he was in Philly, with Drum and Seth. So I wonder how that relationship is now when I’ll have a chance to talk to them."
There's no love for Simmons in the Sixers' locker room, apparently. But even if there was, Green claims that he'd be highly surprised if he shows up to Philadelphia again this season when both teams meet on March 10th:
“Now, will we shake hands to start? Probably not,” Green said. “First, I’d be highly surprised if he even plays in that game. I don’t know where his health is — mentally, physically, I know he had other issues — and we all know he does not like to play in Philly. So if he does play in that game, I’d be highly surprised."
Green added that if Simmons actually shows up, he's likely to be greeted with a good-old warm welcome from one of the toughest, most passionate fanbases in all of sports:
"I see it as being a very hectic playoff-like environment, atmosphere, to where it may be very rough for him," Green added.
Green didn't mince his words on Simmons but it seems like he still has some people by his side. Seth Curry, for instance, claims that he doesn't owe anybody an explanation or an apology because he only did what was best for him:
"Business is business," Curry told ESPN, per Bolavip. "I said from day [one], even when he was out early in the season, people were asking me if I feel like, if Ben comes back, should he apologize to us or whatever? I understand the business; he doesn't need to apologize to anybody."
Whatever is the case, the stakes have never been higher for Simmons. He'll get to play on a championship contender with two of the greatest scorers of all time.
His former team is thriving without him and proving that they didn't need him to be a contender all along. He's in the spotlight now more than ever and people will want to see what he's truly made of.
