Fans of the Philadelphia 76ers had been waiting a long time for Wednesday night.
Their team’s biggest star, Joel Embiid, was finally set to face off against his old teammate, Ben Simmons of the Brooklyn Nets.
Simmons has become public enemy number one for the Philly fanbase since leaving the team last season.
Undoubtedly, he would be met with a less-than-happy reception from the crowd.
They were ready to let him know how they felt.
Philly fans are chanting, “fu*k Ben Simmons.”
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 26, 2023
Sure enough, Simmons was met with a strong and nasty reaction every time he touched the ball.
In fact, as the match entered its final period, the crowd repeatedly chanted “F— Ben Simmons”.
It was loud enough for the network TV cameras to pick up and that definitely means it was loud enough for him to hear.
However, it apparently didn’t get to him too much because Simmons had a decent night with 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, even though his team was taken down 137-133.
Loyal Philly fans have had it out for Simmons since Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals two seasons ago.
During that game, Simmons gave a lackluster performance and left a nasty taste in the mouths of many.
Things only got worse after that, with Simmons refusing to suit up for the team and sitting on the bench until a trade was made.
That deal eventually came through a year ago, when Simmons headed to Brooklyn in exchange for James Harden and others.
Although Simmons has been back in Philadelphia since that trade, Wednesday was the first time he battled against Embiid.
The two players got in each others’ faces right away and the crowd did everything in its power to root Embiid on and bring Simmons down.
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