Evan Turner ripped Philadelphia on national TV -- and angry Sixers fans fought back until he tapped out

Ariel Simpson, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Mar 31, 2026

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PHILADELPHIA — On Monday night, when it was time to make predictions between the Sixers and the Miami Heat on NBC’s pregame broadcast, Evan Turner had a few fighting words for the city of Philadelphia.

“I can’t stand Philadelphia,” Turner said.

Turner, who played 10 seasons in the NBA, spent four of them in Philly after getting drafted by the Sixers second overall in 2010.

During his tenure in Philly, Turner averaged 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 279 games before he was traded to the Indiana Pacers in 2014. He later played for the Boston Celtics, Portland Trail Blazers and Atlanta Hawks before retiring in 2020.

His unprovoked comment led to a lot of heat on social media.

“I don’t know what’s more [messed] up, the inflection of your voice or your Sixers tenure. Trust me pal, the feeling is mutual,” one user wrote on social media.

Instead of walking back his comments, Turner doubled down in response to the fan.

“Prob the Sixers tenure, for sure. It was a disgusting experience as a player, for sure. Then I went to Boston and learned what a real sports city was, ya know,” Turner wrote.

Philly fans didn’t take this lightly. They took the time to show their own version of Brotherly Love, with several pointing out that he was a bust, including The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Daniel Pearson.

“The thing about Evan Turner hating Sixers fans is that he was a No. 2 overall pick and was absolutely terrible. So of course people didn’t welcome him,” Pearson wrote.

And after all the backlash, Turner finally decided to take back what he said.

“Philly, y’all got to take it easy. I just be trolling, I am not worth your anger (humor). I’m showing brotherly love,” Turner wrote.