Philadelphia 76ers rookie Ben Simmons is having a terrific first season in the NBA and has helped the team to a first playoff appearance since 2012. His excellent performances didn’t remain unnoticed by some of NBA’s legends including Julius Erving aka Dr. J, the man who brought the last NBA championship title to 76ers in 1983.
After the 76ers 121-95 win over Brooklyn Nets, Dr. J went ahead and called Summons “once-in-a-lifetime-type player.”
“Once-in-a-decade, maybe once-in-a-lifetime-type player,” – said Erving of Simmons. “He’s able to make everybody better immediately each and every time down the floor; guys are spotting up or looking to cut or keying off of triggers that come out of his handling skills.“
After missing the 2016-17 season due to an injury, Ben Simmons is making a compelling case for NBA Rookie of the Year award. The first overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft has 11 triple-doubles this season, alongside 36 double-doubles. He is currently averaging 15.8 points, 8.1 assists, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game.
“Sometimes it looks like he’s got eyes in the back of his head because he sees and feels one of his guys making a run to the hoop or spotting up at certain positions. That’s just a gifted player that we are very fortunate to have on our team.” – added Erving.
