Ben Simmons Gives Shocking Statement on Philadelphia 76ers Fans

Former 76ers star gives his thoughts on the fanbase.

Nov 22, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (R) and Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (L) shake hands after the game at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Years after he was drafted first overall in 2016, Ben Simmons' final days with the Philadelphia 76ers were far from seamless. Looking back his time with the franchise, the former All-Star gave a rather shocking response when discussing the fan base.

This week, Simmons is set to appear on the Young Man and the Three podcast. In the teaser clip that posted on social media, he is talking about things he took for granted in his career. Simmons looks back to his time with the Sixers and praised the fanbase for being so passionate.

"The fans, I didn't appreciate the fans enough," Simmons said. "The fans of Philadelphia are incredible. You always want to play for a team that has a good fanbase wether they're booing or whatever. You just want fans to care, you want the arena packed."

"I didn't appreciate the fans enough...the fans of Philadelphia are incredible." -- Ben Simmons opens up about his relationship with Philly in our sit down with him dropping TOMORROW! 🚨🚨🚨 pic.twitter.com/B9KVqvOPoT

— TheYoungManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) January 23, 2025

Simmons had the best years of his career with the Sixers, making multiple All-Star teams and even receiving All-NBA honors in 2020. At one point in time, he and Joel Embiid were seen as one of the top young duos in the league. However, things would end up going off the rails after the 2021 season.

Following the Sixers' loss to the Atlanta Hawks, Simmons decided that he wanted a change of scenery. This resulted in a months-long saga that saw him kicked out of practice and never suiting up in a game. Daryl Morey finally put an end to the situation at the 2022 trade deadline, shipping Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for James Harden.

Now in his third year with the Nets, Simmons has yet to return to the caliber of player he was in Philly. In the 30 games he's played in this season, he is averaging 6.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 7.1 APG.