Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons told NBA reporter Marc J. Spears of Andscape that he would be open to playing for the Philadelphia 76ers again despite how his tenure with the franchise ended.
The Sixers traded Simmons to the Nets during the 2021-22 season in the James Harden trade. Simmons is now hated by fans in Philadelphia, but the LSU product will never say anything bad about his old stomping ground.
“I had a lot of fun there,” Simmons said. “It was time for me to go. When I did leave, it was good timing. Obviously, the injury and everything that was going on didn’t help. But I think it gave me a chance to really appreciate it. I’ll always have love for Philly. People always ask me like, ‘If you were to get traded again where you want it to be?’ I always say, ‘Just Philly. Philly is a second home to me.’ And in time, you learn and grow as people. I don’t really have anything bad to say about Philly. It was a crazy situation at the end, but it is what it is.”
The last time Simmons played for the Sixers was Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks. The three-time All-Star played 35 minutes and finished with five points, eight rebounds and 13 assists while shooting 2-of-4 from the field and 1-of-2 from the free-throw line.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers & Brooklyn Nets Updates
In the fourth quarter of Game 7 against the Hawks, Simmons passed up a dunk attempt and dished the ball to Matisse Thybulle, who got fouled and went 1-of-2 from the free-throw line. The Hawks went on a 5-0 run to go ahead 93-87 with 2:31 left in regulation after that sequence and wound up winning 103-96 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Simmons has career averages of 14.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists with the Sixers and Nets. The lefty only appeared in 42 games last season due to knee and back issues. He averaged 6.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.1 assists.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers & Brooklyn Nets Updates
“For me to come back and dominate people will be great,” Simmons said. “I don’t intend to come back the same player I was last [season], because that’s not even close to where I am. I get excited because I’m like, ‘Damn, I would [expletive] on the player I was last year.’ But I know where I was at last year, so it’s easy to say that. But it’s just fun to go and do the thing that you love when you’re out there. That’s really it for me. I don’t really ask for too much.”
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