Simmons is in street clothes on the bench as he continues to work his way back to full physical and mental fitness, but was the centre of attention during the first quarter.As Brooklyn jumped out to a 40-23 lead, the angry home crowd turned its sights on its former point guard. Earlier, Philadelphia fans didn’t even wait for Simmons to arrive at the game to start booing him.Bloodthirsty 76ers supporters waited outside the hotel the Brooklyn Nets’ were staying at ahead of today’s game in Philly and pounced on the Australian when he walked out to board the team bus.Watch the 21/22 NBA Season with ESPN on Kayo. Live coverage every week plus every game of the NBA Finals. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >“Thanks for James,” one yelled, after Simmons was traded to the Nets for James Harden a month ago.Another fan yelled at Simmons as he went and signed autographs.“Why the grievance? Why spit in the face of Sixers fans? Why the grievance? Why the grievance Ben?” he said. “We did nothing but support you for five years, you know that.”The reception didn’t get any kinder when Simmons entered the stadium, even if he was only going to sit on the bench rather than suit up for his new team.The crowd mocked him by cheering when, in a pre-game shootaround, Simmons went up for a dunk. The Bronx cheer was because Simmons infamously passed on an open dunk under the rim during last season’s disastrous playoffs loss to Atlanta.It didn’t go unnoticed that during 15 minutes on the floor, Simmons didn’t take a single shot. Perhaps he was terrified of the reaction he’d cop if he missed.“The loudest boos in pre-game with Ben Simmons warming up with the extra player(s),” sportscaster Howard Eskin tweeted. “Did not take a shot for over 15 mins and then when leaving the floor went to #Sixers end and said hello, not to players but people he knew. Lots of boos.”The Athletic’s Brooklyn Nets beat writer, Alex Schiffer, said on Twitter: “I did not see Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid acknowledge each other when they were on the court together for pregame warm-ups.”There was no love lost between Embiid and Simmons during the Aussie’s stand-off with Philadelphia. The Cameroonian All-Star was happy to speak his mind and didn’t paint his former teammate in a positive light during the saga. Before the game, the Nets said Simmons is a big boy who doesn’t need his hands held through the boos and jeers.“He’s a big boy, he’ll be fine and he’s excited to join our team,” coach Steve Nash said. “He wants to be there on the bench with his teammates.”Simmons requested a trade from Philadelphia after last season, citing mental health issues. After getting dealt last month, he’s still ramping up and yet to practice with the Nets, but has the enduring hatred from the City of Brotherly Love.“Lovely,” Kyrie Irving predicted for Thursday’s atmosphere.The Sixers already added a fence by the players’ entrance to the court, and beefed up security to playoff levels according to the Philly Voice.Kevin Durant has already walked a mile in Simmons’ shoes, making a February 2017 return to a hostile Oklahoma City after leaving the Thunder for Golden State. But he has no intention of talking to Simmons to brace him.“Absolutely not,” Durant shook his head. “That’s one of those things he’s going to have to experience for himself. … Nobody’s going to hold his hand.“I’m sure it’s going to be some personal attacks, some words that may trigger you personally, but that’s just how fans are. They’re going to get under our skin. And they’re going to let their voices be heard. Part of the experience of coming to an NBA game is to heckle. Some people don’t even enjoy basketball, their lives are so sh*tty that they get to just aim it at other people. … Ben understands that.”Durant admitted he’d gotten the chance to shut the OKC fans up with every basket, but Simmons will just have to sit there on the bench and deal with it. But that’s just part of the (highly paid) job.“Ben doesn’t have that opportunity right now: He’s got to just sit there and just take a bunch of people being childish, throwing insults at his way because he didn’t want to play basketball for them [any] more,” Durant said. “I mean, it’s funny when you look at it in the bigger picture. You see what it really is.“But that’s just the sport we play. That’s the profession we’re in. We’re out making $40 million a year, you can take that for 48 [minutes], for a couple hours. I’m sure Ben has that approach.”— with New York Post
