Following Thursday night’s 108-97 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers inside Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James decided to post a motivational message to Ben Simmons — a player who most experts and analysts view as the heir apparent to the NBA’s metaphorical throne.
James, now 33 years of age, logged 39 minutes of playing time in Thursday’s game, scoring 30 points on 12-24 shooting from the field (2-6 from beyond the arc), nine rebounds, eight assists, and one steal.
Simmons, 21, wasn’t far behind James on Thursday’s stat sheet. The Australian-born forward played 32 minutes against the Cavs, scoring 18 points on 8-14 shooting, nine rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and one block.
James was impressed with Simmons’ game.
“I told y’all a while back that my young King was next in line! Getting better and better every night out! Tonight another example of that. Fun to watch and compete against you again and#TheProcess @joelembiid. Remember lil bro settle for nothing less than GREATNESS!!! @bensimmons”
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Simmons is a client at Klutch Sports, which is the same sporting agency that James is a part of. The business group, led by James’ long-time friend and business associate, Maverick Carter, represents several prominent athletes in today’s NBA, including Simmons, Eric Bledsoe, and John Wall.
Following Thursday’s game, James was asked what sort of matchup problems Simmons creates.
“The same one I bring,” James said of Simmons. “Power, speed, quickness, size, court awareness. Same one I bring.”
The Cavs, now the third-ranked team in the Eastern Conference standings with a 36-25 overall record, will be back in action on Saturday night, as they’re scheduled to host the Denver Nuggets. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. EST with FOX Sports Ohio having live broadcast coverage.