Blake Griffin Defends Ben Simmons From Philadelphia Reporter

Blake Griffin defended his Brooklyn Nets teammate Ben Simmons from a Philly reporter ahead of showdown with 76ers
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

While Ben Simmons will not be playing in Thursday night's game between the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, he will be in attendance. As the Nets entered the arena for shoot around, the Philadelphia media was there waiting to get a quote from Ben Simmons. Blake Griffin, his new teammate, spoke up instead.

As the Nets were walking into the arena, a reporter asked Ben Simmons what he expected tonight from the Philadelphia 76ers home crowd. Before Simmons had a chance to respond, Blake Griffin laughed and said, "Oh, the TMZ style!" Griffin, clearly taking a shot at the intrusive media tendencies, was the only Nets player who made a comment as the team entered the building.

It will certainly be a bizarre scene in Philadelphia for this game, as Philly fans have been desperately waiting for an opportunity to boo Ben Simmons. While he will not be playing, he may receive a tribute video that would give fans the opportunity to boo that they are looking for.

Ben Simmons has several Brooklyn Nets teammates that he can consult about dealing with an upset ex-fanbase. From Kevin Durant with OKC, Kyrie Irving with Boston, and Blake Griffin with Detroit, Brooklyn's veterans are no strangers to receiving boos from fans who once cheered them. While this will be Simmons' first taste of this, it will likely be something that persists throughout the rest of his career.

The Nets and Sixers are set to tip-off at 4:30 PST in Philadelphia.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.