NBA | Watch out ... Simmons and Sixers turning me into, gasp, a fan

Ben Simmons (25) tallied 10 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists, a couple of them being of the 'wow' variety, in his summer-league debut for the 76ers.

by Jack Kerwin  |  ydkjack1@gmail.com

It’s a role reversal.

Frankly, like it. A lot.

Been a long time since me and the word “fan” could be recognized as one legitimately intertwined being when it comes to pro sports, but Ben Simmons and those in the 76ers organization who opted to put their future in his hands have done it, breaking the hardened shell and creating a new mold.

Oh, you magnificent bastards …

Usually, yours truly is divvying out the warnings to others, forever advising them to avoid getting caught up in the hype surrounding certain players or teams in order to skip yet another heaping of heartbreak brought on by cold, harsh reality.

Now? You say Simmons is only getting started. That he’s just an about-to-turn-20 kid who has holes in his game, or his character, or both. That he’s only played one summer-league game in the home team’s red, white and blue colors. That he shot just 2-for-9 from the floor in that game and had to leave with leg cramps.

Don’t care. All in right here.

Hell, was before he even slipped on a Sixers cap for all to see a few weeks ago.

Not for nothing, but haven’t been this excited about any of Philly’s pay-to-play franchises, especially due to just one player, since, well, umm, ever.

May seem crazy, but it’s true.

Yeah, sure, in the past followed the Eagles, Phillies and, at one point in my early, impressionable days, the Flyers with a religious fervor, and, truth be told, the Sixers were my first, true love. But no one – not Mike Schmidt, not Bobby Clarke, not even Doctor J – got my positives flowing with unbridled and genuine passion the way Simmons has.

My cup runneth over. Already …

It’s all about possibility, what wondrous things in the future that now seem within reach, if only remotely so, with Simmons, and the fact that the Sixers saw the same and went for it by selecting him No. 1 at last month’s NBA Draft.

Think about this: Philly got the guy. THE GUY. The top banana. The big Kahuna. The legitimate transcendental prospect. The most elite of the elite available when they nabbed the first-team All-American out of Louisiana State.

When the hell has that ever happened before?

Please, spare me the Allen Iverson propaganda …

You know, when you grow up in a city, or around it, that constantly seems to wind up with the consolation prize, often by its own choosing, it kinda gets a little tough to gear up with thoughts of potential greatness dancing in your head. In the fun and games department, with bad trades, bad draft picks, bad luck, you name it, Philly has had few peers when it comes to futility and frustration.

Yo, even Cleveland can laugh at us now. That’s right, Cleveland!!!

But Simmons offers hope that can change. Offers it in a way the eyes behind these words have never seen.
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Being blunt, he’s the most talented basketball player to wear Sixers’ gear in my lifetime. No, he ain’t the best shooter, dunker, rebounder, hustler, defender, scorer or ballhandler. But he’s good to great with all those things, or appears capable of being so, and he is the best passer, not to mention the one possessing the best court vision and having the best “feel” for what to do. At 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds.

Think Larry Bird with stars on his uniform instead of a Shamrock … and speed.

Seriously.

Not foolish enough to think the masses, if anyone else at all, would share the same good vibes in regards to Simmons and the Sixers.

But, for me, they exist and they are welcome alternative.

For however long they last.

Like it. A lot.

You say Simmons is only getting started. That he’s just an about-to-turn-20 kid who has holes in his game, or his character, or both. That he’s only played one summer-league game in the home team’s red, white and blue colors. That he shot just 2-for-9 from the floor in that game and had to leave with leg cramps. Don’t care. All in right here. Hell, was before he even slipped on a Sixers cap for all to see a few weeks ago. Not for nothing, but haven’t been this excited about any of Philly’s pay-to-play franchises, especially due to just one player, since, well, umm, ever. May seem crazy, but it’s true. Yeah, sure, in the past followed the Eagles, Phillies and, at one point in my early, impressionable days, the Flyers with a religious fervor, and, truth be told, the Sixers were my first, true love. But no one – not Mike Schmidt, not Bobby Clarke, not even Doctor J – got my positives flowing with unbridled and genuine passion the way Simmons has. My cup runneth over. Already …