The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers are facing off for the first time since the Ben Simmons trade.
With Kevin Durant healthy, Kyrie Irving available to play and new members Andre Drummond and Seth Curry in the mix, this is as close to full power as the Nets could reasonably expect at this point.
Of course, their marquee addition of Simmons still isn’t ready to play, but he will be making the trip to Philadelphia and sitting with his squad while they take on his former team.
It’s no secret that Simmons’s exit from the Sixers was a messy one, and he didn’t play in a single game for them since the 2021 NBA playoffs. He spent the entire season away from the team as they looked for a trade for him, so fans never got a chance to face him in person at a game after he flamed out.
This game against the Nets will give them the chance to do it, even if Simmons isn’t actually playing in it. By doing this, he’s opening the door to hecklers, and Nets superstar Kevin Durant didn’t hold anything back describing these fans.
Durant Sends a Message
KD: “I think part of the experience of coming to an NBA game is to heckle. Some people don’t even enjoy basketball, their lives are so shi*** that they get to just aim it at other people. So it’s easy to kind of get that release at a basketball game. Ben understands that.”
Speaking after the win over the Charlotte Hornets, Durant answered a question about Simmons sitting on the bench with the Nets when they visit the Sixers despite not playing.
He took aim at fans who come to the game with the intent to just heckle.
“I think part of the experience of coming to an NBA game is to heckle,” he said. “Some people don’t even enjoy basketball, their lives are so sh*tty that they get to just aim it at other people. So it’s easy to kind of get that release at a basketball game. Ben understands that.”
It sounds like Simmons is doing this to just get it out of the way, and he was going to have to get it done eventually, so why not when you’re not actually playing?
He’ll likely be booed for years to come in Philadelphia, similar to how Irving is treated any time he heads back to Boston.
Simmons is Ready
KD doesn’t think Simmons will have a problem with the boos that await him in Philly.
“That’s the profession we’re in. We’re out making 40 million dollars a year, you can take that [criticism] for 48 [minutes of a game], for a couple hours. I’m sure Ben has that approach.”
Durant believes the heckling comes with the territory when they make so much money playing basketball.
“That’s the profession we’re in,” he said. “We’re out making 40 million dollars a year, you can take that [criticism] for 48 [minutes of a game]. for a couple hours. I’m sure Ben has that approach.”
More athletes have been speaking up about fan criticism as of late. Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook revealed to media he and his family received death threats, and he’s not a fan of being called “Westbrick.”
For Durant, at least at the moment, it’s just part of the experience but his tune can certainly change based on how bad things get. The Lakers are having a rough season and play in a huge market, so the spotlight is much bigger on them, but the Nets still have their share of expectations to meet this season too.
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Nets’ Kevin Durant Trashes Ben Simmons Hecklers With Harsh Message