Former Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons left the City of Brotherly Love on a bad note years ago. Yet, he has gained plenty of support for a reunion on the Sixers, and the three-time All-Star is certainly playing into the hype.
On Wednesday, Simmons posted a few pairs of sneakers on his Instagram story. What many NBA fans noticed was that LeBron James' signature shoes were included. Of course, Simmons added an emoji that he used frequently throughout his Sixers career on game days.
Ben Simmons posted the Nike LeBron XXIII “Old Glory” to his Instagram Story. 🇺🇸🔥 pic.twitter.com/2Jd4xauhbl
— Bronupdates (@Bronupdates) August 6, 2026
The dots are connecting
The LeBron connection is obvious. Just last month, James signed with the Sixers after considering a handful of teams in NBA free agency. While many believed that LeBron could've signed with the 76ers in 2018, due to his close relationship with Simmons, the superstar forward ultimately chose the Los Angeles Lakers at the time.
James finally chose Philly, where Simmons claimed that he would be open to playing, when he made it clear that a comeback is in the cards as long as it's the right situation for him personally.
“I plan on getting as strong as I can physically, getting my [expletive] on the court, and then the team realizing that my abilities will be needed. I don’t have a plan on where….Maybe I’ll go back to Philly," Simmons told Men's Health back in June. "Miami would be nice. And not because it’s Miami—I like Erik Spoelstra, I like the Heat, I like their organization, I like the culture.”
So far, neither team has shown enough interest in Simmons to bring him on. Despite Simmons teasing a return to the court with the 76ers through his LeBron-inspired post, the Sixers don't have space to make a move at the moment.
The latest roster moves
When the Sixers signed LeBron, they had to cut ties with a player. Dalen Terry became the odd man out, as his contract was non-guaranteed. After LeBron signed, the Sixers started working on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Before bringing on Caldwell-Pope, the Sixers had to make another move. While Jabari Walker seemed like the next obvious candidate, the Sixers cut ties with the second-year center Johni Broome instead. Broome was included in a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Sixers will keep a roster spot open after officially signing KCP on Wednesday. I wouldn't rule out Simmons entirely. Now that he's back with Klutch Sports, Rich Paul's influence could certainly help convince the 76ers to give him another shot.
But Simmons is a hard sell at this stage of his career. At 30, Simmons was out of the league in 2025-2026. The last time he played was a 17-game stretch with the Los Angeles Clippers. Simmons averaged 2.9 points, 3.1 assists, and 3.8 rebounds per game in 16.4 minutes of action off the bench.
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