Getty Kevin Durant and LeBron James.
Ben Simmons has a new neighbor in his ritzy Los Angeles neighborhood. Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant has purchased a $15.6 million mansion in the guard-gated Hidden Hills area, according to The Dirt.
The two-time NBA champion sold his Malibu beach house and moved into the 10,000-square-foot home, on a 1.8-acre lot, in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley. Durant is literally a “stone’s throw” from Simmons and other celebrity neighbors include Lil Wayne, Madonna, Matthew Stafford, Iggy Azalea, Drake, John Stamos. Speculation will quickly turn to Durant trying to recruit Simmons to Brooklyn but perish the thought. The Sixers aren’t trading their three-time All-Star to an Eastern Conference rival. Besides, Durant and the Nets are poised to run it back next season for another legitimate title run.
“We want to win. We want to win every game we play,” Durant said after losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7. “We want to win a championship every year just like every team so the last game of the season we lose, but the beauty of our profession is we get up and keep going.”
New $17.5M home for Ben Simmons in Los Angeles
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Sixers Fans Hate Kevin Durant
One of the most memorable moments from the 2021 basketball season was hearing Philly fans berate Durant back in April. Simmons and crew beat an undermanned Nets squad 123-117 at Wells Fargo Center when chants of “Durant Sucks” erupted from the stands. The 2014 NBA MVP was in street clothes for the game but remained on the bench to soak in the heckling. It was beautiful.
“KD sucks” chants broke out in Philly with Embiid on the FT line.
Meanwhile, Sixers All-Star Joel Embiid dropped 39 points in 33 minutes in that one. He heard MVP chants every time he stepped to the foul line — 11 times to be exact — and defended the hometown crowd after the game.
“When you play in Philly, they’re going to push you,” Embiid said. “In Philly, that’s played a huge role in how dominant we’ve been at home. You don’t want to get booed. Whether they’re booing or whether they’re cheering, I know it’s for the right reasons.”
Sixers Remain Out on CJ McCollum
Philadelphia doesn’t appear ready to pull the trigger on a deal for CJ McCollum. The franchise views him as a runner-up prize over Damian Lillard and won’t send Simmons to the Portland Trail Blazers for mere pennies on the dollar. The Athletic’s Jason Quick provided the latest McCollum update, although the same sentiment has been reported in previous weeks. Quick wrote:
McCollum likely isn’t enticing enough to pry Ben Simmons from Philadelphia, even though their salaries virtually match. Olshey is known to be close friends with Daryl Morey, his counterpart in Philadelphia, but that friendship won’t be a factor whether Morey considers a McCollum-based offer, even if the pot is sweetened with young players such as Simons or Little.
There you have it. It appears to be Lillard or bust in Philly. Unless Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal suddenly becomes available in a trade. He has continually stated that he wants to remain in D.C. and get things fixed following their first-round playoff exit.