The hype train for Ben Simmons has been running for a while now. Despite a disappointing freshman season at LSU, he was the clear-cut No. 1 overall pick in June’s draft and impressed with the Philadelphia 76ers at Summer League. His rookie season is going to be one of the must-watch developments of the upcoming NBA season, and his fans include none other than President Obama, who is known to be a huge basketball fan.
Met President Obama last night & we talked 76ers: "Been a tough few years. But I really like @BenSimmons25. It's about to get a lot better."
— Michael H. Weber (@thisisweber) August 3, 2016
The Sixers might not be very good this season, but the president is right about one thing: their future is looking good. Between Simmons, Dario Saric coming over from Europe, Joel Embiid appearing to be healthy finally, and a solid offseason of signing veterans, the Sixers will be fun to watch this season, if nothing else. They certainly won’t be nearly the 10-win embarrassment they were last season, which by itself is enough to celebrate.
And for what it’s worth, President Obama told Bill Simmons in 2012 that he watches League Pass on his iPad. So chances are, he actually has watched Simmons play and has an informed opinion on his game. This isn’t simply lip service. Only time will tell if his optimism about the Sixers’ future is proven right.
