Ben Simmons wants people to dial down in comparing him with Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James. According to Sixers.com’s Brian Seltzer, the Philadelphia 76ers rookie guard isn’t particularly fond of hearing his name be mentioned in the same sentence with James.
Simmons says tonight is just 1 game out of 82, calls James a Hall of Famer, possibly best ever:
“I’d be annoyed too if somebody was comparing me to a rookie. You shouldn’t compare me to somebody like that. Not yet.”
— brianseltzer (@brianseltzer) November 27, 2017
Simmons may not like it, but he can’t blame fans and experts alike for incessantly bringing up James’ name when dissecting his basketball skills and trying to project his career trajectory. Both are versatile big men, who can run the floor, set up teammates, score, rebound, and defend multiple positions. They're also the No. 1 overall picks in their respective draft classes.
Simmons also sort of echoed what James said earlier with regards to the comparison. For James, people have to let Simmons grow into his own and not be viewed as someone who’s trying to emulate the four-time MVP.
Simmons and James meet each other in an official NBA game for the first time this Monday, as the Cavaliers pay the City of Brotherly Love a visit.
Coming into the game, James is averaging 28.5 points, 8.6 assists, and 7.5 rebounds per game. Simmons, on the other hand, is putting up 18.5 points to go with 7.7 assists, and 9.1 rebounds per contest.
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