Report: NBA executives still compare Ben Simmons’ ‘freakish athletic ability’ to that of LeBron James

By Orel Dizon
Updated: July 4, 2021

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons is one of the most unique players in the league.

Even though he is 6-foot-11 and taller than some power forwards and centers, he primarily plays the point guard position. His athleticism is also considered to be elite.

Some NBA executives even liken it to that of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

“He’ll be 25 on July 20,” wrote Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com. “He has been in the NBA for four seasons. As two NBA executives told me, ‘He has freakish athletic ability, almost like LeBron James in that area.'”

While the three-time NBA All-Star has been outstanding during his four seasons in the league, he has also received criticism for his subpar play in the postseason.

In this year’s playoffs, his lack of scoring and terrible free-throw shooting partly led to Philadelphia’s second-round exit.

The Sixers could look to trade Simmons in the offseason to try to land a player who is better suited with the players on the roster.

The Lakers themselves may be on the hunt for a new point guard. However, Simmons does not figure to be amongst the players they target.