Ben Simmons Returns To The Wells Fargo Center Yet Again
Over the weekend, an old familiar face returned to the Wells Fargo Center as an opposing player. This player has one of the craziest stories in Philadelphia sports history and one that will be remembered for many years to come. Of course, I am talking about none other than Ben Simmons.
Ben Simmons and the Brooklyn Nets came to town for an early Saturday matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Unfortunately for Philadelphia fans, the Sixers fell to Ben Simmons and the Nets by a score of 136-121, and it was never particularly close from the opening tip to the final buzzer.
It should be noted though that the Sixers were down four regular starters, including Joel Embiid who is out for a displaced flap of the meniscus in the left knee.
In case you missed it last night, it was reported that Embiid will move forward with a procedure on that knee that will have him out for a significant amount of time.
Anyway, back to Saturday’s game!
When Ben Simmons first checked into the game, it goes without saying that he was booed. Once that was over with, he eventually checked in with nine rebounds and five assists — it must be noted though, he did not attempt a shot!
Before the game, Ben Simmons did take the time to chat with many Sixers staff, including myself!
He seemed to be in a great mood, and went out of his way to sign some autographs for fans!
Ben Simmons was not the only familiar face returning to the Wells Fargo Center, either.
My niece Lily and my nephew Nate also were in the building to take in the game!
Obviously, they were excited about the game itself, but they were also excited to meet Ally Love!
Ally is the in-arena host for the Brooklyn Nets and was courtside to see the game with her husband Andrew Haynes.
Not only does Ally Love work with the Nets, but she also is a Peloton instructor, and Lily and Nate both love riding their Peloton so they recognized her instantly.
In fact, Nate has over 1,000 rides on his Peloton and shared that with Ally! She even reposted his picture on Instagram and tagged Peloton’s official account.
Overall, Saturday was a really fun day! I just wish the Sixers won!
PHOTOS:
More from Matt Cord…
The Inside Look At Joel Embiid's Historic 70 Point Game
I have been doing the public address announcements for the Philadelphia 76ers for almost three decades. I have seen a ton of cool and historic things over the years. With that being said, I’ve never seen what Joel Embiid did last night at the Wells Fargo Center.
I consider it a privilege to be able to announce for the Sixers in Embiid’s era with the team and in the NBA. It is truly amazing.
What he did last night was truly unreal and there are not enough adjectives to describe his performance.
In case you are living under a rock, or had an early night last night, here’s the headline. The reigning MVP set a Sixers franchise record last night with a 70-point game against the San Antonio Spurs.
He broke Wilt Chamberlain’s previous record of 68 points scored in a single game, which Wilt did in 1967.
For those wondering — Yes, Wilt Chamberlain did, in fact, score 100 points before in a single game for a Philadelphia team. But it was actually with the Philadelphia Warriors, not the 76ers.
Anytime you can beat a record held by Wilt Chamberlain, you know you are amongst the all-time greats.
Well, that is exactly what Joel Embiid did last night.
Oh, and if his 70 points were not enough for you, he also checked in with a career-high in rebounds as well with 18 boards.
Talk about a man on a mission.
Last night was already a special night to begin with. Rookie sensation, Victor Wembanyama, took the court for the first time in his career in Philadelphia.
Wemby is a 7’4” center from France. He is the most highly touted rookie since LeBron James. So you know the building had a buzz to start the night.
Then Joel Embiid took the court, and you could just tell by his body language that he was going to dominate.
However, I don’t think anyone in the building could predict just what he was going to do.
Speaking of people in the building, the stars were out to see the game last night, including M Night Shyamalan, Charlie Mack, Brian Westbrook, Duce Staley, Michael Schulson, Michael Rubin, Tyrone and Denise Maxey, the 6th man Alan Horwitz, and Jumaine Jones — who actually rang the bell as well!
I think it is safe to say that they all left impressed.
I know I did — so much so that Good Day Philadelphia is sending a cameraman to the MGK studios to get my reaction!
Congrats to Joel Embiid on a historic night, and I can’t wait to see what he does next!
If they let him play all 48 minutes in one game, I am sure he can break Chamberlain’s record of 100 points one day!
Enjoy the social media reactions and sights on sounds from my perspective last night below!
Matt Cord is the host of the Matt Cord Show. He is a lover of all Philly Sports and has been the voice of the Sixers for 27 years and NBA2K for the past 4 years. As a cyclist enthusiast, Matt writes about his adventures all throughout the city.