PHILADELPHIA — The Wells Fargo Center was filled to the brim Thursday night with Philadelphia 76ers fans seething in anticipation of facing disgraced former player Ben Simmons for the first time since last summer’s heartbreaking playoff loss.
But it wasn’t the arena-shaking moment Sixers fans had long been anticipating. Simmons, who was traded to the Brooklyn Nets exactly one month ago, avoided a big entrance at his former home court, and snuck out during the introduction of the Sixers players. When the lights of the arena came on, there was Simmons, huddled with his teammates.
Once Philadelphians saw him, they erupted in boos and periodically broke out into expletive chants.
It was the first time Simmons stepped in front of Philadelphia fans since last June, when the team blew a 26-point lead to lose to the Atlanta Hawks in Game 7 of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinals. Simmons played particularly poorly in the series, refusing to dunk in the final minutes of the season-ending game, and not taking a single fourth-quarter shot in the final four games of the series. He performed so badly at the free-throw line that opponents intentionally fouled him knowing he likely wouldn’t make the shot.
And although the losses were not solely Simmons’ fault, it was the way he interacted with the franchise afterward that cemented the animosity within the fan base.
He refused to play for the Sixers, citing his mental health, and didn’t show up for practices or games, racking up millions of dollars in fines.
“He quit on the city,” said Fatieem Grady, 35.
Grady bought two tickets for $450 each to witness Simmons’ return Thursday. He purchased them amid the frenzy following the Feb. 10 trade.
Outside the arena, people sold the usual mix of crude T-shirts – Simmons sucking a pacifier, dressed like a clown, and his head on an ice cream cone calling him “Mister Softee.”
Father and son Mike and Jeremy DeLia dedicated their outfits to Simmons. Jeremy wore a red clown wig, and taped over his Simmons jersey with the words “coward” and “baby.” Mike wore a plastic turkey head mask in Simmons’ honor.
Mike DeLia has been a season ticket holder for 22 years, he said, and his son has attended every home game this season. Anticipation leading up to the night was immense, they said.
The heckling began before Simmons even stepped foot on the court, with videos circulating on social media of fans booing and yelling obscenities at him as he exited the Four Seasons Hotel Thursday morning clutching a cup of coffee.
Jason Castaldo almost sold his tickets to the game.
But he couldn’t, he said.
“I had to come and boo him myself,” he said. “It feels like a playoff game.”
