Ben Simmons says he’s ‘grateful’ to be back on court after Nets debut

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Ben Simmons has not appeared in a regular-season NBA basketball game since June 20, 2021. 

One of the last images we had of Simmons was of the three-time All-Star passing up a wide-open dunk in the fourth quarter of Game 7 against the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals. 

Ben Simmons (10) of the Brooklyn Nets prepares to shoot a free throw against the Philadelphia 76ers during a preseason game Oct. 3, 2022, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.  (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

That moment was the last straw for the relationship between the Philadelphia 76ers and Simmons. Simmons held out for the season before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets in February for James Harden. He never appeared in a game for the Nets due to back issues. 

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Simmons returned to the court Monday night against his former team, playing 19 minutes with six points, four rebounds and five assists. 

"Amazing. I’m grateful just to be able to step on an NBA floor again. I had a lot of fun out there," Simmons said after the Nets’ 127-108 loss to the Sixers, according to the New York Post. "I thought I’d be nervous, but I wasn’t nervous. I was excited. To have that feeling to be able to come out and know you’re going to play on an NBA floor, especially at Barclays with some great players, it’s excitement." 

Ben Simmons of the Brooklyn Nets pauses on the bench during player introductions before a preseason game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Barclays Center Oct. 3, 2022, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.  (Elsa/Getty Images)

It’s the first time Brooklyn’s new "Big Three" have played