Making the transition from beinga young college basketball player to the professional league would be hard for anyone. It is even harder when you are the number one overall pick going to a franchise that has had historically bad seasons and desperately needs a comeback.

That is the type of pressure that falls on Ben Simmons as he begins his journey into his NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers. Not to mention the euphoria and temptations that come with making your lifelong dreams come to reality.

Knowing that these types of pressure and temptations exist for young players, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) has created the Rookie Transition Program, which is the longest running athlete support system in pro sports. The program allows for rookies to attend workshops and seminars ran by current and former players, along with personnel from the NBA and NBPA. Topics covered throughout the program include professional skills, such as career development and finances, as well as personal skills, such as embracing manhood and leadership.

Ben Simmons benefited a lot from attending the four-day program. In a telephone interview with CSNPhilly, Simmons spoke on the valuable lessons being told by the older players about life on and off the court:

You can get an idea how everything works,It’s not just playing ball. A lot behind the scenes goes on. They have a lot of experience and they’ve been through it, you have to listen to everything they say, take it all in and be willing to learn.

There are a ton of lessons to be learned for young rookies coming into the league who are immediately faced with immense wealth and the pressure to perform. This program provides a great service to help ensure that these young players get off to the most successful start to their careers as possible.

For Ben Simmons, who is already faced with the pressure of reviving a franchise along with comparisons to LeBron James, the Rookie Transition Program gives him the insight on how to continue his successes onto the big stage.