Ben Simmons Issues NSFW Message on Sixers Fans Amid Looming Nets Debut

ben simmons

Getty Ben Simmons.

The Brooklyn Nets acquired All-Star forward Ben Simmons in a blockbuster trade that sent James Harden to the Philadelphia 76ers last February. However, he never made his Nets debut because of a herniated disc in his back that required him to undergo surgery in May.

As Simmons prepares to make his Brooklyn debut next month, he reflected on his time with the 76ers on the latest episode of “The Old Man & The Three” podcast with former Sixers guard JJ Redick. Specifically on what it is like dealing with the people and media in Philadelphia.

“People in Philly want to have something to say f——, anything man … literally everything,” Simmons said to Redick. “Post a picture of a f—— car, dog, I got reporters saying you should be in a f—— gym.”

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Simmons ‘Values’ His Time in Philadelphia

The disconnect between the Nets star and his former team started after a Game 7 loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 playoffs. Simmons passed up a near wide-open layup with a much smaller Trae Young defending him on a pivotal possession in the 4th quarter, which ultimately decided the game, eliminating them from the playoffs.

Though Simmons reported to training camp the following fall, it was clear that the relationship between him and the Sixers was beyond repair, especially after seemingly being called out by Sixers’ star Joel Embiid following the Game 7 loss.

The way Simmons made his exit left a sour taste in the mouths of Sixers fans. But despite all that transpired, the Nets star says he will always be part of Philadelphia.

“I had a great time. The fans are unbelievable. I still have an apartment there, so I do own some real estate in Philadelphia still. … I feel like I’m still part of Philly still,” Simmons said to Redick.

“I value that time I did spend in Philly cause … And I got friends for life there. I got my brother who lives there like I got family there. … I think people have like a thought that … I think that I hate it.”


Winner of the Harden, Simmons Trade Still in Limbo

The winner of the Harden, Simmons blockbuster trade has yet to be decided, as the three-time All-Star has yet to take the floor for the Nets. But after Brooklyn was swept in the first round of the playoffs last year, and the Sixers were able to advance to the second round, Philadelphia has a clear lead.

That means that Simmons will be facing an immense amount of pressure when he finally does debut for the Nets this fall. Not only from Nets fans but fans around the NBA as well.

Simmons adds a dynamic to the Brooklyn roster they did not have with Harden, with him being an elite defender. In the last season he played, he was a finalist for the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

But the reality is that it has been more than 15 months since Simmons has seen any NBA action, and nobody knows the version of him that will take the floor for the Nets this season. If he is still the same player he was when he last took the court in 2021, the Nets could be a legit threat in the Eastern Conference.