Compare Philadelphia 76ers rookie Ben Simmons to LeBron James if you must. Just don’t expect the four-time MVP to board that bandwagon.
This has nothing to do with James’ view of Simmons, the odds-on Rookie of the Year favorite, and someone who has a legitimate shot at becoming the first rookie since Blake Griffin to snag All-Star honors in his first season.
No, the King’s take on the matter is more about individuality, as he told reporters before his Cleveland Cavaliers demoralized the Sixers on Tuesday, per ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin:
LeBron James and Ben Simmons share the same agent in Rich Paul and are both have big, sturdy bodies with the court vision of a point guard (James is 6-8, 250; Simmons is 6-10, 230) so the comparisons have already begun. But James doesn’t want to hear them. “That’s for you guys (in the media),” James said after shootaround Monday. “You guys do that comparison stuff. I think Ben is his own makeup of speed, power, quickness, competitive basketball and being able have a feel for the game. You know, Ben is Ben. And I am who I am. And so on and so on. So you guys kind of do that comparison stuff.” Similarly, James was not keen on discussing the possibility of matching up with Simmons, who is questionable for the Cavs game with an elbow injury, on Monday night. “It’s not about me vs. Ben. It’s about the Cavs vs. the 76ers and we want to continue to play good ball. They’ve been playing good ball, especially at home. So it’s not about me versus him at all.”
Not an unreasonable take by any stretch. But, nevertheless, James better get used to these comps.
Simmons is a point guard trapped in a power forward’s body, just like LeBron. He’s entered the NBA facing questions about his jumper, just like LeBron. He’s flashing signs of transcendent basketball skills as a newbie among established veterans, just like LeBron.
The parallel isn’t perfect, and it will begin to fall apart if Simmons never develops a jumper the way LeBron did. But the sentiment is far from unfounded—and it isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
