Ben Simmons of the Brooklyn Nets might want to pack earplugs in his overnight bag for Tuesday.
That’s because the star player is coming back to Philadelphia to play his first game of NBA basketball since being traded away from the 76ers last season.
As everyone knows, that trade capped months of controversy and serious disdain from the notoriously loud and opinionated Philly crowd.
This will be that crowd’s first chance to really let Simmons know what they feel about him as he plays.
It’s going to be loud.
Ben Simmons plays basketball in Philly today 🚨 pic.twitter.com/v0Qt9kVK2B
— Brooklyn Netcast (@BrooklynNetcast) November 22, 2022
The internet and NBA world are focused on Simmons as he prepares to return to Philadelphia for the first time in months.
We know the reaction won’t be good – the crowd is ready to boo louder than ever before.
But will this affect Simmons, who has actually put together a string of good games lately?
The Simmons Surge
Just a few days ago, Simmons’ career was at a true nadir.
He was playing bad, sluggish, uncomfortable basketball, finishing a game against the Los Angeles Clippers with just 2 points in 14 minutes.
But things turned around after that: Simmons has now scored 11, 15, and 22 points in the Nets’ last three games.
He went 11-from-13 from the floor against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Additionally, his defense has started to look a lot better too and his rebounding has been noteworthy as well.
Therefore, Simmons is in a good place right now as his team makes the trip to Philly.
We all know that a truly negative reaction can have an impact on players, these NBA superstars are not superheroes who don’t experience emotions.
Has Simmons built a strong enough shield to protect himself from the reaction he’s about to receive?
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