Seth Vigdor
The wait is almost over. The NBA draft is almost upon us and everything that former Sixers general manager Sam Hinkie worked so hard for is now at the tips of our fingers.
When the week is over, barring any shocking development, Ben Simmons will be a member of the Sixers. Love him or hate him, Simmons could be the man that alters Sixers basketball for years to come.
One man that’s already in the NBA that has changed basketball’s landscape is LeBron James. Ironically enough, James is also a player that people either seem to hate or love. James is considered to be one of Simmons’ mentors and he recently gave Simmons a ringing endorsement.
Well, I think he’s a great young talent. I think the way he displays on the basketball court, we all notice. I think we all don’t know just yet how great of a kid he is and how down to earth he is with the game of basketball and life in general. I had an opportunity to spend a lot of time over the last couple years with him and his family. They’re just so very appreciative of the opportunity that they’ve been given as a family. Also, they give everything to their son. They want the best for him. And as a mentor to him and big brother to him, I also give him a lot of advice on what to expect when he makes his jump next week, how to handle it. But he also has to figure it out on his own as well because everybody’s path is different.”
When the reporter asked James if the Sixers would be crazy to pass on Simmons, here’s what he said.
I’m not a GM. I don’t get paid by the Sixers. So I’m not going to answer that.”
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it one last time: the Sixers drafting Simmons is the culmination of “The Process.” Are there some holes in Simmons’ game? Sure! He’s not the best shooter, but the Sixers would be absolutely bat shit crazy to pass on the opportunity to draft a potential franchise changer. So Philadelphia fans, it’s time to get hype because our time is now.