Ben Simmons got off to an incredible start to his NBA career with the Philadelphia 76ers.
In a four-year period, he won Rookie of The Year (and made three NBA All-Star Games).
Via StatMuse (in 2021): “Ben Simmons tonight:
42 PTS (career-high)
9 REB
12 AST
15-26 FG
12-13 FT
He is the first Sixer with a 40p/10a game since Allen Iverson in 2006.”
Back in 2018, Colin Cowherd made a bold statement about Simmons.
Cowherd (via The Herd on April 18, 2018): “I look at the NBA, which I’ve watched for four decades, and I say this now with Ben Simmons: Hey, LeBron, we’re good, bro. You can go. You don’t have to. You can hang around. You’re still great, but you can go. We’re all good here… When I watch Ben Simmons play, it is just a gut feeling. That is something between LeBron and Magic.”
At the time, Cowherd’s take was bold but could also be understandable (Simmons was 21).
Via NBA.Com/Stats (in 2018): “Ben Simmons has averaged 14.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 10.9 assists over the @sixers 14-game winning streak. No player prior to Simmons – rookie or vet – has ever averaged a triple-double over a winning streak of 10+ games in NBA history.”
That said, it now remains an infamously bad prediction.
In fairness to Cowherd, Simmons has dealt with a lot of injuries.
However, he has been unable to return to an All-Star caliber player since he was 24 (in 2021).
