For Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown, Ben Simmons is the rookie of the year. This is what he firmly believes, despite all those who say that he is not a “real” rookie.

As reported by Sixers beat writer Keith Pompey, Brown is the “stone cold” rookie of the year. Brown said in part:

As I've said and I'll say it again: He is the stone cold rookie of the year. To me, it's not even close. And that will be for others to decide. But it's my very strong opinion that he is the rookie of the year.

Below is the video:

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Since Simmons sat out during his entire first year and did not play a single NBA game, by the league's rules, he is still considered a rookie. Simmons, too, believes that he is a rookie and should be crowned the best one this season.

However, some believe, and partly due to Donovan Mitchell's superb rookie campaign, Simmons is not qualified for the award. After all, Simmons may not have played a single NBA game, but he had access to NBA trainers, coaches, film, and training facilities for an entire year.

From all the attention that the issue is getting on TV and social media, it seems that even after the Rookie of the Year is named, fans and critics will continue going back and forth on who deserved it the most.