Twelve Years After LeBron James Returned To Cleveland, Ben Simmons Is Back In Philadelphia For The First Time

Ben Simmons and the Brooklyn Nets will play against the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Center.

It has been one the most anticipated games of the season because it marks the first time Simmons faces his former team in Philadelphia.

On Feb. 10, 2022, Simons was traded by 76ers to the Nets after he refused to cooperate with the organization. His refusal ultimately led to him becoming one of the most disliked players in Philadelphia and rightfully so.

The 76ers drafted Simmons as the first overall pick in 2016 in hopes he would be the player who the franchise can build around and return back to championship-form. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.

Tonight’s game has drawn comparisons to LeBron James when he first returned to Cleveland with his new team, the Miami Heat. The game came five months after James appeared on television in the controversial special “The Decision”, in which he announced his choice to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami.

The move left a sour taste in sports fans' mouths, mainly those in Cleveland. It led to fans burning his jersey and there were even reports of a riot in the city’s streets

Granted, the circumstances might be different. James spent his first seven years with the Cavaliers, leading them to the playoffs five times and the NBA Finals once. He gave the fans there hope.

As for Simmons, he spent just four years with the 76ers and never got past the second round of the playoffs.

In James’ defense, he went back to Cleveland after winning back-to-back championships with the Heat, finally delivering one to the Cavaliers. The chances of Simmons playing with the 76ers again are extremely slim.

There’s no saying tonight will be as intense as James’ return to Cleveland but Philadelphia sport fans have been known to be very dedicated to their teams.

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Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog https://allball30.wordpress.com