Ben Simmons Reveals Feelings on Eventual Return to Philly

Ben Simmons made it known to the Philadelphia 76ers that he wanted out ahead of the 2021-2022 NBA season. The rumors of Simmons planning to hold out until he was traded came true. Simmons remained off the court for more than half the season last year.

On the day of the 2022 NBA trade deadline, the Sixers shipped Simmons off to the Brooklyn Nets along with Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and draft compensation to land James Harden and Paul Millsap. At last, Simmons was no longer a Sixer.

The trade didn't get the three-time All-Star back on the court right away. As he was gearing up for his return, Simmons suffered a back injury, keeping him sidelined for the rest of the regular season. Although Simmons didn't face his former team in March of 2022 in South Philadelphia, he was present on the sideline and getting a preview of what's to come when he finally plays in front of Sixers fans once again as a member of the other team.

"That's the competitive nature of being in a hostile place like Philadelphia, you know?" Simmons told ESPN's Nick Friedell. "I was drafted there, it ended in a way where not everyone was happy about it, but that's basketball, right? And it's Philly. Like, I don't know if that's happening in Indiana or anything like that. That's Philly. That's Philly for you."

Simmons knows what to expect when the Sixers host the Nets for the first time during the 2022-2023 NBA season on November 22. Unlike previous stars that donned a Sixers uniform and returned to the city as a member of another team, Simmons will likely get a negative reaction.

But the star guard claims he looks forward to the matchup either way.

“F—, I can't wait to go there, yeah. But for me, everything's an experience and a learning situation. So for me I'm able to learn something that I've never been through before. I've never been traded and played against a team that I got traded from. Kev has, Ky has, a lot of guys have, but I've never been in that situation so -- you have to go through it. Ky went back to Boston, and he didn't play well, but it's a lot. We're people, too. We want to go out there and prove everyone wrong.”

After taking a year off the court, Simmons feels the basketball world has forgotten just how talented he is. Simmons was a Rookie of the Year winner, a three-time All-Star, and an All-Defensive winner with the Sixers. However, a self-described "bad series" in the playoffs and a year off to follow led many to forget what Simmons could do well on the court.

Simmons already faced his former team for the first time nearly two weeks ago when the Sixers faced the Nets for their preseason opener in Brooklyn. While that game might've helped Simmons get some awkwardness out of the way, a preseason matchup at home can't quite prepare him for what's to come next month.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.