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Pelicans Fans Chant 'Where's Ben Simmons' During Sixers Matchup

As the drama unfolds in Philadelphia, the rest of the NBA has been paying close attention to the Sixers as they attempt to receive a commitment from Ben

Justin Grasso

Pelicans Fans Chant 'Where's Ben Simmons' During Sixers Matchup
Pelicans Fans Chant 'Where's Ben Simmons' During Sixers Matchup /

As the drama unfolds in Philadelphia, the rest of the NBA has been paying close attention to the Sixers as they attempt to receive a commitment from Ben Simmons.

Back in the summertime, Ben Simmons figured he wanted a fresh start after the Sixers dropped Game 7 against the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the playoffs. Therefore, his agent requested a trade on his behalf.

The Sixers looked over some offers but never found a trade worth making. In an attempt to force the Sixers to settle for less, Simmons skipped out on training camp and the preseason. Philly never blinked during the stare-down.

So, Simmons has returned to the 76ers. However, his return has caused even more drama as the star guard has been reportedly disengaged in practice as he makes it clear he isn't willing to play for the Sixers right now.

Simmons' antics led to the three-time All-Star getting tossed from practice just one day ahead of Philly's season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday. As his status for the matchup was already up in the air, a one-game suspension confirmed that Simmons would not play for Philadelphia on Wednesday.

His absence during the Sixers' road matchup against the Pelicans on Wednesday offered New Orleans fans an opportunity to troll the opponent at the Smoothie King Center during the first outing of the regular season.

"Where's Ben Simmons" chants were short-lived but loud on Wednesday night as Sixers' second-year guard Tyrese Maxey attempted a pair of free throws. As the Simmons saga has been a dark cloud hovering over Philadelphia for quite some time now, Pelicans fans figured they had a good opportunity to remind the 76ers that they have lost the attention of their three-time All-Star.

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

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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