Ben Simmons' thirst for wanting to become an all-time great reportedly isn't stopping with Los Angeles Lakers president and NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, as the Philadelphia 76ers point man has sought out talks with franchise greats Allen Iverson and Julius Erving, as well as Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, according to Shams Charania of Stadium in a since-deleted video tweet.
Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice reported all these names sans Ginobili in a Monday report, and there could be even more players on the list.
The circus surrounding the Sixers and Lakers on a potential meeting between Simmons and Magic has grown nuclear, with the NBA now investigating claims of potential tampering of the league's collective bargaining agreement, which prohibits making contact with players of a different franchise off the court.
The one thing that remains constant between the words of Sixers general manager Elton Brand and Magic Johnson is that Simmons is hungry to improve his game and become one of the best to ever play — something that has made him reach out to other former greats for mentorship.
Simmons is only in his second season and barely starting to put up 3-point shots, but his all-around ability is destined for great things if he follows his innate skills with elite-caliber work ethic.
Franchise greats like Iverson and Dr. J would surely be available to talk to him, but reaching out to others connected to different franchises could blur the lines of what could be considered tampering.
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