Ben Simmons has a pretty good, verging on great, chance to become the first NBA rookie since Blake Griffin to earn an All-Star nod. The Eastern Conference is thin on superstar clout, and he’s playing out of his mind, averaging a patently absurd 18.7 points, 9.2 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game on a 52.3 percent clip he’s propping up without being a three-point threat.
So, clearly, the 21-year-old is stoked about his season, and about what it means, and about how he’ll probably be invited to Los Angeles not only for the young-player festivities, but for the actual main event.
Or maybe not.
ESPN caught up with Simmons after he led the Philadelphia 76ers to a victory over the Utah Jazz on Monday night while notching a career-high 27 points and asked him about his feelings on the matter. Spoiler: He has none.
Because he’s only here for the ringzzz:
Here’s the transcript, for the Instagram video impaired:
You are surrounded by royalty in the record books, Ben. But do you allow yourself to think ahead and what it would be like to become the first rookie since Blake Griffin to be selected [to] the All-Star Game?
Simmons: No. I want to win a ring. That’s my goal. I want to win more than one.
As if we needed anymore proof that Simmons and Joel Emiid are the perfect long-term one-two punch for the Sixers. Sure, this answer approaches cliche status. But it doesn’t feel overly practiced or superficial. Plus, Simmons is a (red-shirt) rookie. He’s 21. Younger players are taught to appreciate the moment, to find value in making baby steps.
The Sixers, as a team only just now familiarizing itself with being competitive, could easily be reveling in what it’s like to hover above .500 and enter the playoff conversation at all. That could be enough for them. And earning early-season All-Star dap could excite Simmons, and he could tell us much, and we could not fault him for it. But no. That isn’t how he, or Embiid, is wired—hence why these two, and their team, are so damn fun to watch nowadays.
