PHILADELPHIA — Whether or not it’s closure, payback or one thing else, Ben Simmons lastly bought it Thursday in Philadelphia. And now he can get on together with his profession in Brooklyn.
In Simmons’ return to the Metropolis of Brotherly Love, the hate began early, ran deep and by no means let up. However even when 76ers followers received’t ever forgive or neglect how he left, now he’s lastly put them within the rearview and his Nets stint squarely in focus.
“He appeared good to me. He appeared completely satisfied to be right here,” Nets coach Steve Nash stated. “I believe he was completely satisfied to get it out of the way in which.”
Many predicted the still-sidelined Simmons — who has been open about his psychological well being points — wouldn’t have the fortitude to affix his new Nets teammates and sit on the visiting bench, taking the wrath of the spurned Sixers followers. However he did simply that, taking their bile from the morning right through the top of the sport.
And possibly he noticed it wasn’t all that deadly in any case.
Whereas the Nets have extra drama than a season of “The Bachelor,” it might not totally go away. Possibly Thursday’s blowout win was a giant step in studying to take care of it, for each them and Simmons.
“I don’t assume it’s gonna go away, actually, all of the noise round our group,” Kyrie Irving stated with fun. “But it surely makes for good enjoyable. As we talked about, we simply wish to keep even keel with it. The noise goes to proceed, however we simply have that focus, simply no worry. Simply play free, and go on the market and do your job and we’ll be proper there for one another supporting. So it feels good after we do this.”
The Nets had been with Simmons, rallying round him.
First the 76ers turned him right into a scapegoat for final 12 months’s playoff ouster. Then, after his commerce demand, a villain. Thursday they made him a rallying cry for the Nets, a motivator even from the bench.
“Most positively,” Kevin Durant stated. “We have a look at Ben as our brother, so we knew that this was a hostile atmosphere and we knew he didn’t have a possibility to play, so we wished to come back on the market and have them give attention to the court docket extra so than simply at all times specializing in him. In order that they centered on the court docket tonight, and it’s laborious for you chant at Ben Simmons if you’re dropping by that a lot.”
Simmons — who isn't more likely to do full five-on-five apply Saturday, in line with a supply — can take peace of thoughts in getting by means of the vitriol from the followers of his previous group. Thursday’s Brooklyn blowout towards the 76ers and James Harden — the person he was traded for a month in the past Thursday — simply made it sweeter.
Simmons had began the morning off getting accosted by 76ers followers exterior the Nets’ group resort, cursed at and mocked. One even rushed in direction of him and needed to be stopped by group safety. And from pregame warm-ups by means of a lot of the night time, he heard chants of “F–ok Ben Simmons!”
Right here’s the factor. He survived.
It was nowhere close to the form of vitriol that Kevin Durant endured in his return to Oklahoma Metropolis. No beers thrown at his head like Kyrie Irving had final 12 months in Boston.
Simply phrases, sticks and stones and all that.
“I believe enjoying for Ben and this night time means one thing to Ben — and never solely Ben — [Andre Drummond], Seth [Curry] — if you get traded on this league it’s not straightforward to take care of,” Irving stated. “We’ve tried to welcome them in with open arms. So after we performed [the 76ers] we positively felt like Ben was on our coronary heart, you may see it.
“He was sporting it and we simply wished to go on the market and play for him and play effectively. However once more, it’s not a person factor for us. All of us felt it. We’re all there. All of us deal. If you happen to come at Ben, you come at us. You come at anybody else on our group, you come in any respect of us. And that’s the mentality.”
That's the article: Nets rallying around Ben Simmons provides blueprint for rest of season’s drama
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