The Ben Simmons saga in Philadelphia was a long and drawn-out experience that ended with him not being the most popular person among 76ers fans, to say the least.
But his teammate on both the 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets, Seth Curry, told ESPN’s Nick Friedell that Simmons shouldn’t have to apologize to Philly fans.
“Business is business,” Curry told ESPN after Thursday’s shootaround. “I said from day [one], even when he was out early in the season, people were asking me if I feel like, if Ben comes back, should he apologize to us or whatever? I understand the business; he doesn’t need to apologize to anybody. When he’s on the court, I know he’s going to do his job and he’s going to do what he does. So I understand the business. He was doing what he felt was best for himself business-wise and personal-wise.”
Simmons has yet to play a game this season, last suiting up for the 76ers in the 2021 playoffs, after refusing to play for Philadelphia this year and demanding a trade. Simmons got his wish at the trade deadline and was shipped off the Nets along with Curry and Andre Drummond and draft picks in exchange for James Harden and Paul Millsap.
Simmons has yet to play for Brooklyn either, with Nets Coach Steve Nash stating it’s unlikely he will return before the Nets and 76ers’ matchup in Philadelphia on March 10 due to conditioning issues via the New York Post.
Before this season, Simmons had already established himself as a star in the NBA. He is a three-time All-Star, two-time All-Defensive team selection, and earned a 2019-20 All-NBA team nomination. This has resulted in Simmons having career averages of 15.9 points, 7.7 assists, and 8.1 rebounds per game over his career.
The Nets and 76ers are still in a tight Eastern Conference playoff race, with Philadelphia (35-23) in third place and Brooklyn (31-29) in eighth place.
