What better celebration than the return of a former member of the house who left as a thief? A room in turmoil, a storm of war, an almost unhealthy heat, bare-chested spectators when they usually do that at football, the mother of the player in question locked in a cage, songs always more inventive who sometimes (all the time) cross the border of disrespect. In short, the n°1 object ofentertainment in the sport.
Tonight, Ben Simmons returns to Philly at 1:30 a.m. You did not follow the litigation? One sentence is enough to sum it up. It’s 519 days since the Australian last played for the Sixers, and 285 days since he left the franchise: find the error. The names of palmipedes will rain, blue jerseys n ° 25 will burn, Doc Rivers and Joel Embiid will have to – more than a year after titillating Benny in the post-match conference – to obtain a result. Whoever loses has lost, whoever wins has won: in the meantime, we reopen the history books to pass the time.
We open this paper with a total off-topic, just to define the“hostility scale” inserted at the end of each story. The return of Matthew Valbuena in Marseille sits at the very top of this measuring ruler. It’s not the same sport but it’s the same spirit: in the south bend (or north we don’t know), Marseille fans hung a doll bearing the image of the man they once called “Little Bike”. A love broken by the signing of Valbuena at Olympique Lyonnais, once his Russian adventure ended with Dynamo Moscow. The charge of Karim Rekik who did not play the ball but the small playmaker, the assassin tackle of Romain Alessandrini – who did not even seek to challenge his red – the incorrect words of Franck Passi for his former player. A hostility that is difficult to match, which would have taken on a whole new dimension if Valbuena had scored this volley in the 89′. This is already – in our opinion – a nice 10/10.
Rating on the hostility scale: 10/10
A mega forehead against forehead between Andre Roberson and Kevin Durant. You talked about that in 2015, people asked you for more explanations then the address of your dealer and if he accepted restaurant tickets. On February 11, 2017, the unlikely became a reality. Why this cold reception in Oklahoma? Why this bestial confrontation between two friends who, for a time, shared the same locker room, the same discussions and the same evenings? An open secret for ordinary mortals: in the summer of 2016, Kevin Durant made his way to Golden State. Hop, antagonist status in the most shocking signing in history, and that of public enemy No. 1 where for nine seasons, people cheered him on. For his return to Oklahoma, therefore, Thunder fans gave him a just tumultuous welcome, stopped at boos, not really worthy of theentertainment prompted by the story. What do we mean by “not really worthy” ? It was just too dignified. Entertaining, but way too sporty. A bronca on each of his shots, insufficient to stop the lightning of Slim Reaper: 34 points at 12/21 in shooting, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 loss of ball and… a Californian victory of 16 pawns. In the post-match conference, Kevin Durant even allows himself a little rooming: “ I expected it to be worse”.
Rating on the hostility scale: 8/10
You wanted drama in OKC? You got it. pic.twitter.com/puuYTC26Dz
— NBA.com (@NBAcom) February 12, 2017
We weren’t there but the return of LeBron James to Cleveland, on December 2, 2010, to scalp his former team by 28 points by scoring 38: it seems that the show was worth it. The Darth Vader sound theme to introduce Heat players, and the absolute difference in treatment between LeBron James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas, two elders from Ohio who went ring hunting in Florida. The Chosen One are booed as if they owe them money when the Lithuanian is greeted by a grateful Quicken Loans Arena. Well, we owe this discrepancy to the contexts: LeBron is only 25 years old, Zydrunas is already 35 – and fourteen seasons in Cleveland in the retro. He was kind of allowed to leave for services to the franchise. One has proven his loyalty, the other is seen as a little rascal – the most talented in the NBA – ready to do anything to finally dress one of his fingers. But the problem with the talented traitors is that they are talented: 38 points at 15/25 shooting, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 1 dodged phone battery (thrown by a fan when LeBron was blowing on the bench) and… the victory of 29 units. Same price as Kevin Durant in Oklahoma, home pays.
Rating on the hostility scale: 9.5/10
Back to the source a tad more recent: November 27, 2019, Anthony Davis wears a gold jersey in the bayou. Not the friendliest of relations between Unibrow and the New Orleans franchise which selected him as the 1st choice of the 2012 Draft. He asked for his transfer on the fly, in the middle of the 2018-19 season, as if he deserved better than E’Twaun Moore and Cheick Diallo (he deserved better). For once, we are three or four tones below the returns of Kevin Durant and LeBron James, but the boo machines were still working. Except that this version of Anthony Davis was not the one we know today, rusted by injuries, whose stature is not that ofa member of the Top 75 All-Time. The AD 2019-20 is king of the post-up, unstoppable on the shoulder, perfect user of a body with formidable mobility, the first defensive bastion of the 3rd NBA defense. Inevitably, when he makes his big comeback where Jaxson Hayes is the starting 5 position – and Jahlil Okafor is his first substitute – the score sheet left by Davis can only be formidable: 41 points at 50% shooting, 9 rebounds, 3 steals and… the 4-point win. Once is not custom, two either, but three are starting to be: all the returns to hostile territory seem to have been excellently punctuated for most of the antagonists. That we miss this Anthony Davis short hair and big volume.
Rating on the hostility scale: 6.5/10
A quick trip to the attic to dust off the magneto: November 19, 1993, Dennis Rodman makes his first comeback to Detroit since breaking away to sign for Spurs. A tide of boos, the classic, but fans are far from what The Worm dreads the most. The coach at the time, Don Chaney, sends Bill Laimbeer to take care of the Rodman case. Two of the craziest minds in NBA history, on top of each other, ready to maximize their potential for vice in a hateful, angry atmosphere. The meeting did not degenerate, Bill Laimbeer simply made Bill Laimbeer. Nothing very visible on camera, small blows to Dennis in scred, enough to drive the Texan No. 10 crazy and get the fouls without committing any. The two men will finish at three whistles each, but Rodman eats two technical fouls and is completely done « out-mastered » by his former mentor. He ends up unpinning poor Sean Elliot, and is expelled from a match that has completely escaped him. Big mouth on the referee, very very borderline, the crowd is delirious. A hostile welcome but a clever welcome, the Detroit Bad Boys – although at the end of the cycle – have always found themselves there in the clashes against a background of settling scores. Final score, 95 to 86 for the locals, absolute masters in the matter.
Rating on the hostility scale: 8/10
We return to bored in Cleveland with the reunion between the Quicken Loans Arena and… Carlos Boozer. Selected in 35th position in the 2002 Draft by Ohio, the double All-Star strong winger pulled out at the end of his sophomore season to join the Jazz, a weak team with even less prospect for the future than Cleveland. . His motivation? The bait of gain. A contract of 68 million dollars over six years, which at the time represented 23% of the salary cap a deductible (set at $49.5 million). A heavier bag of money than the $41 million — over the same term — offered by the Cavaliers. But here it is: weighed down by injuries, Carlos Boozer only returned to play in Cleveland on March 17, 2007, 978 days after his departure. We are a little out of the way and not really in the Far North, but « The North Remembers ». In Cleveland, nobody – or almost – has forgotten this blow of trafalgar coming from the one who should have supported the young LeBron James in his quest for a ring. Impossible to find a video of the meeting, but the echoes of the monthly magazine The Atlantic : “When Carlos Boozer returned to Cleveland as a Jazz player, he was greeted with a chorus of boos, angry nods and t-shirts that twisted his last name into ‘Loozer’ and ‘Boobie’. ». Two and a half years later, it’s crazy.
Note on the hostility scale: not enough archives/10
If the recent history of Toronto is probably the most claimed by the franchise, it is that it has been beautifully punctuated. In the summer of 2019, when Kawhi Leonard cut to the Clippers after bringing home a title to the Canadian franchise, fans mourned his departure but didn’t blame him. On December 11, 2019, The Klaw will even receive a wonderful tribute of Scotiabank Arena for his return under the opposing colors. The kind of indulgence that would have loved to enjoy Tracy McGrady (magic) and Vince Carter (Nets), both gone without looking back. It was first T-Mac who left Vince all alone, before coming back to beat him with Orlando, 101 to 104, under a storm of boos. Each of his ball shots is then a pretext to fire shots in the air and destabilize (a little) the cursed child, who only finished the game “with” 24 points at 8/21 in the shot. For Vince, the return to the source is on April 15, 2005 against the Raptors of sophomore Chris Bosh, Jalen Rose and Morris Peterson. A dirty story. The eight-time All-Star sends 39 points to 15/26 shooting, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals for only one loose ball. The Nets prevail tranquilou-bilou, 90 to 101, Toronto mourns its elders.
Rating on the hostility scale: 7.5/10
Special mention for Game 1 of April 17 between Nets and Celtics under the projectors of a brutal TD Garden. Without trembling – but also without winning – Kyrie Irving landed 39 points at 12/20 shooting including 6/10 from the parking lot. A performance that could have gone down in history without this « buzzer spin » by Jayson Tatum. This match is out of category since it is not Uncle Drew’s first return to Boston, but it was difficult not to slip it « for the culture ». And for adults too.
Note on the hostility scale: out of category/10
Kyrie HATES Boston ???? pic.twitter.com/qEx6OTLiUe
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) April 17, 2022
That’s it, we’re completely boiling before the return of Ben Simmons to Philly. In the list presented above, many conclusive returns despite an electric – almost lightning – atmosphere and fans who were able to contain themselves, with one or two telephone batteries. We’ll see what happens in Pennsylvania, eh, but there aren’t just altar boys there.