PHILADELPHIA (AP) 鈥� Ben Simmons tilted his head in bemusement at the suggestion enough time had passed since his bitter split with the 76ers that his Philadelphia homecoming might be greeted with more affection than acrimony.
His look, which became an instant meme, had the appearance of a player who knew better.
The details of Simmons' long-building split with the Sixers are too fresh for that. Like the time former coach Brett Brown asked him to shoot just one 3-pointer per game, or coach Doc Rivers simply asked Simmons to report on time and participate in practice 鈥� Simmons did niehter.
Or when management and an entire fanbase that only wanted Simmons to embrace the city, play up to his contract and the talent that made him worthy of the No. 1 pick and chase championships with Joel Embiid could not get an honest answer on why he wanted out of Philadelphia.
Simmons knows that won't all be forgotten so fast.
鈥淵ou guys are going to make titles or headlines or whatever it is, but I鈥檓 excited to go play,鈥� Simmons said.
Like it or not, Simmons is in for much worse than a scornful scowl from jilted Philly fans when he returns Tuesday night with the Brooklyn Nets to play the Sixers for the first time since a February trade.
The three-time All-Star as he recovered from a back injury when the Nets played in Philly in March. Simmons drew derisive cheers from the moment he stepped on the court and was .
鈥淚 know what鈥檚 coming,鈥� Simmons said to laughter following a win Sunday.
Just wait until he actually plays.
鈥淥ne thing about Philly fans, they鈥檙e incredible,鈥� Simmons said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e diehard Philly. Everything Philly, whatever it is. I respect that about the city. It鈥檚 a sports town.鈥�
When Simmons sat out last season鈥檚 home opener, fans mocked the absentee guard. The most popular form was a Mister Softee T-shirt with an ice cream swirl on Simmons鈥� head.
鈥淚t鈥檚 great for him,鈥� Nets coach Jacque Vaughn said. 鈥淗e鈥檒l have his teammates behind him, he鈥檒l have a coach that believes in him and overall, we鈥檙e looking forward to go play.鈥�
It鈥檚 still at times almost implausible to fathom that the 76ers and Simmons couldn鈥檛 stemming from his refusal to take an open dunk in a Game 7 loss to Atlanta in the Eastern Conference semifinal.
Rivers and Embiid made passive criticisms of Simmons, and the relationship unraveled from there. Simmons had back issues and later said played a role in his trade demand in the that led to a contentious few days in training camp. Simmons was sent home for good, filed a grievance after the Sixers said he breached his contract (it was later ) and then in a .
Simmons couldn鈥檛 shake the drama in Brooklyn, either 鈥� though thanks to Kevin Durant and , there鈥檚 plenty to go around in the borough 鈥� and has played only 12 games this season. He鈥檚 rounding into form and coming off a season-high 22-point game against Memphis, his first 20-point game since for he played for the 76ers in the 2021 playoffs.
鈥淚 haven鈥檛 had many opportunities to get the reps in, so I鈥檓 getting my reps in now,鈥� Simmons said.
Simmons averaged 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists over four seasons with Philadelphia, which drafted him out of LSU, where he played only one season. His omnipresent headaches, such as his refusal to shoot beyond 15 feet 鈥� he was a 5-of-34 career 3-point shooter with the 76ers 鈥� outweighed his otherwise gifted defensive and playmaking talents.
Simmons made a surprise return to the Sixers shortly before last season opened but was promptly kicked out of practice and suspended for one game. The punishment didn鈥檛 matter; the No. 1 pick of the 2016 draft never had any intention of playing.
He'll face a scuffling 76ers team playing without an injured Harden and Tyrese Maxey and now Embiid 鈥� his former All-Star partner and franchise cornerstone whose friendship has since dissolved.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of history, but there鈥檚 really no history. It鈥檚 just a regular game,鈥� Embiid said.
It鈥檚 going to be loud and wild inside the Wells Fargo Center. Simmons insisted he won鈥檛 get 鈥減syched out鈥� and vowed he will come to Philly ready to play.
Even if he feigns interest in what all the fuss is about.
鈥淪omething going on?" he said, laughing.
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AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney in New York contributed to this story.
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Dan Gelston, The Associated Press
