These were the most noteable passages during this biography I’ve read.

“And during the 2000s, LeBron James burst into the scenes as an ultra-athletic small forward with the size and strength of a power forward but the skills of a playmaker. Though he was listed as a small forward, LeBron was always his team’s de facto point guard. Many would argue that he was his generation’s version of Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson rolled into one.”

“He was the calming presence that gave the Sixers stability as the franchise fast-tracked “the process” and finally broke their playoff drought.”

“Simmons immediately started playing. And when he began showing what he could do, he won over his coach not only with his talents but also with the mature and humble way he carried himself.”

“Kevin Boyle liked how humble and respectful Ben Simmons immediately was when he first got to Montverde Academy. For Boyle, it was rare to see someone who had so much confidence but was very down to earth and unselfish. At such a young age and with the talent and potential he had, Simmons was not like most star basketball players because he never carried himself like he was bigger than everyone on the team. That made him fit in right away.”

“The way Ben Simmons handled himself with unselfishness was due in large part to the way he was brought up as a basketball player in Australia. He immediately noticed that in America, there was a lot of individual and selfish players early on as most high school teams loved letting their stars take over. But in Australia, everything was always team-oriented from the moment the players were first taught how to dribble. That was why Simmons did not have the air that most young high school basketball stars had. Instead, he handled himself like he was the last player on his team’s bench.”

“Something that Ben Simmons always lacked when he was in Australia was aggression and a selfish mindset to take over games whenever his team needed him to. Growing up in Australia did well in developing his unselfish mindset as basketball programs there were more team-oriented concerning structure. But that was not always the best mindset for a budding star player like Ben Simmons.”

It’s always interesting to learn about the greats past and how they were bought up.

coaching 76ers Ben Simmons biography