Ben Simmons, Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson were the only three players to achieve this feat. Now, Simmons is without a team.
Simmons has a tragic NBA story. The former number one pick has battled both mental and physical challenges during his time in the league, which has led him to be an unsigned free agent.
The start of Simmons’ career meant he was viewed as one of the NBA’s next superstars. Nine years on, and the league looks to have given up on him, even after he matched the great Magic Johnson in this statistic.
Simmons’ Philadelphia 76ers were the next big thing. He and Joel Embiid led them to promising seasons year after year when he was drafted. He delivered big performances in the postseason.
Simmons joined Robertson as the only NBA players with at least 10 triple-doubles in each of their first two seasons. He also joined Robertson and Johnson as the only players to record at least 200 points, 100 rebounds, and 100 assists through their first 13 playoff games.
Robertson and Johnson have six NBA titles, four MVPs and 18 NBA First Teams between them. They are two of the greatest players of all time, and both hit the ground running in their prestigious careers. Johnson even won the championship as a rookie.
Many superstars got off to incredible starts to their careers since Johnson. Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant never achieved this. But Simmons did.
Now, Simmons is far from the heights those NBA legends reached, following back injuries and a mental shooting block.
Simmons had failed tenures with the LA Clippers and Brooklyn Nets since he demanded a trade out of Philadelphia, and now he seeks his fourth team. There is hope Simmons can rejuvenate his career, but his next stop needs to be the right fit for him.
He has become so passive that Clippers Head Coach Ty Lue said Simmons forgets to score, and needs to be reminded. He used to be a pass-first point guard. Now he’s scared to shoot.
Simmons said he felt wanted in LA, but he played 18 games and averaged three points after joining in February. He missed several games in March with ongoing left knee soreness.
The former number one pick needs rebuilding physically and mentally, or he will end up as one of the NBA’s biggest “what ifs?” of all time.
