National Basketball Association

3 Reasons Ben Simmons Training With LeBron James is Big

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Ben Simmons is training and being mentored by the great LeBron James, and that’s a huge deal for him and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Players cross-training with other players from different teams isn’t always a huge deal. Just like us “normal” human beings, these pro athletes do develop friendships with other players, and like to push each other to get better, especially during the offseason.

That being said, sometimes, it is a huge deal when certain players choose to give other players the time of day. There are some instances where star players will give low caliber players attention because they are on the same team. For instance, LeBron James works out with Jordan McRae, who has been in and out of the D-League for his entire career so far, since they are on the same team and it’s in James’ best interest to see McRae get better, so that the Cleveland Cavaliers can win more games.

It’s rare, however, for superstars such as LeBron to cross enemy lines and train with other players, unless he has really solid reasoning for doing so. James notably gets with Dwyane Wade a few times a year to work on basketball skills together, but that isn’t all that rare, given that the two were on a team together for four seasons, and that the two became very close friends over that time.

But when he’s working out with Ben Simmons, who has yet to play a single NBA game? Okay, that might just be a big deal.

Simmons, James, Dwyane, McRae, and more were working out together this past week. Simmons posted a picture on Instagram to prove it.

Simmons is already surrounded by a highly respectable crowd. There’s some key reasons why this training session between the best player in the world, and the No. 1 overall pick from this year’s draft is a big deal for both Simmons, as well as the Sixers.

Jun 22, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James celebrates during the NBA championship parade in downtown Cleveland. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Talent sees potential

Whether it be in the workplace, social relationships, the classroom, or between athletes, we as human beings tend to recognize when other people are real and have potential. Those who are good at something also tend to be good at picking out other people who might be good at that thing too. So to see LeBron James pick out Simmons as a player to train with is a massive sign of respect.

Simmons and LeBron have similar builds and similar skill sets, (of course, LeBron surpasses Simmons at this point in his career in almost every way imaginable) so it’s important that James is recognizing Simmons already as a solid player.

James knows what a good player looks like from the early stages in his career. With well over a decade of experience under his belt, James knows what it’s like to be that first overall pick with heavy expectations, and has also seen other young players come in and develop around him. If you’re trying to find a player who is good at measuring talent and potential, it would be James, and James is recognizing just how good Simmons is already, and where he can go from here as he continues to build.

Of course, Simmons is nowhere near his ceiling, and James knows that. But James clearly wants to help this young player who has drawn comparisons to himself. I’m sure he or Simmons would never say it, but they each are probably seeing some of the likenesses in their games as well.

Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Brandon Ingram (Duke) walks off stage after being selected as the number two overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Not many in this group

Not only is this group that trains with LeBron James during the summer pretty exclusive, but Simmons is absolutely the youngest guy in the bunch. You don’t see rookies from last year’s class or this year’s class getting the privilege of working out with the best player in the world.

Clearly, James sees something special in Simmons. Why wouldn’t he get Kris Dunn, Brandon Ingram, or someone else to come work out with him? Simply, it’s because those players don’t have the wild base skill set that Simmons has coming into his time in the league.

The other rookies will have veteran players to work alongside, but most of them will have to form connections with them through the team that they’re on. For instance, Karl-Anthony Towns got to work with Kevin Garnett last year. Brandon Ingram may get some mentoring from the newly retired Kobe Bryant if he decides to stick around the organization in any capacity. Denzel Valentine will get mentoring from Dwyane Wade. But not many players are crossing team lines to work with the superstars, and no one besides Simmons is getting to work with the best player in the world.

As mentioned in the last slide, James is clearly recognizing that potential, at at an early stage. He’s not handing out free passes to anyone who wants to work out with him, it’s an exclusive club, and Simmons has been invited. Although his peers don’t think he’s a favorite to win Rookie of the Year, he’s clearly excelling above all of his peers in the minds of the veterans, and that’s what matters most.

Jul 12, 2016; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Philadelphia 76ers Summer League head coach Lloyd Pierce talks to forward Ben Simmons (25) on the bench during an NBA Summer League game against the Golden State Warriors at Thomas & Mack Center. Golden State won the game 85-77. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Connections forming already

Before Simmons has even set foot on a floor in a regular season NBA game, he’s forming valuable connections with established NBA players. Those connections are important for both Simmons and the Sixers as they look to build the team up to be competitive.

Simmons is already establishing relationships with LeBron, Dwyane, and other vets in the league. Connections like these will help the Sixers become more attractive to free agents in coming seasons. While Simmons will have to have a big rookie and sophomore year to pull the big names, the relationship side of things with basketball is often overlooked. Players enjoy playing with people they know, and Simmons already knows quite a few players.

While it’s incredibly unlikely that LeBron leaves Cleveland within the next few years, it just shows that Simmons is already in the crowd of veterans, and he will establish more relationships with players who may be more likely to leave their teams in coming seasons.

Simmons is going to be the selling point for free agents moving forward for the Sixers. Not only is he the player that the Sixers want to build around, but he’s the player that’s going to be the magnet for the best players in the NBA. While the Sixers were a dumpster-fire as far as attracting free agents is concerned the past several years, things are looking up with all of the new talent.

Connections will helps Simmons throughout his career to get better in training, and will also help him bring in solid teammates. It will also benefit the Sixers greatly.