Ben Simmons left the Philadelphia 76ers with a lot of questions left unanswered. After a horrible playoff showing against the Atlanta Hawks, Simmons opted to just hang back and hold out for half of last season. Simmons made it clear that he wanted a trade, and eventually, he got just that as he went to the Brooklyn Nets.
Simmons is not well-liked in Philadelphia these days, although surprisingly, Simmons still has good things to say about the Sixers fanbase. Recently, Simmons was a guest on JJ Redick’s “The Old Man And The Three” podcast, where he spoke at length about the events of the last year. As you will see, Simmons was complimentary of the fans and the city as a whole.
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“Philly is obviously a sports city. And my experience playing there was incredible,” Simmons said. “Like, for the most part, it was incredible. I had a great time. The fans are unbelievable. I still have an apartment there … I feel like I’m a part of Philly still. It’s just unique. Even being in Brooklyn now, it’s completely different. This is a different experience for me. And, you know, I value that time I did spend in Philly because I was able to learn and grow in that city, and I got friends for life there. My brother lives there. I got family there. So yeah, Philly’s great. I think people have like a thought that I think that I hate it.”
These are definitely interesting comments when you consider how Sixers fans treated him after that Hawks series. Either way, Simmons appears to be at peace these days, and it is good to see him smiling ahead of his first full season in Brooklyn.
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