Simmons takes NBA in stride

A DAY after his grand NBA regular season debut, high- flying rookie sensation Ben Simmons was keeping his feet on the ground.

He lived up to all of the hype that has followed him since he moved from Australia to the US as a 16- year- old, broke records at his Florida high school and was a star on a mediocre team at Louisiana State University for a year.

Rookies often crumble in their first NBA game, but Simmons ( above) had 18 points and 10 rebounds on Thursday for his Philadelphia 76ers against the Washington Wizards.

“I have a lot to prove,” Simmons, the son of NBL great Dave Simmons, said yesterday.

Philadelphia coach Brett Brown raved about Simmons after the team’s 120- 115 loss and the Wizards’ four- time All- Star John Wall compared the Australian with LeBron James.

But 21- year- old Simmons was not listening to the praise.

“I just play the game and want to win, so I try not to let people get into my head or say certain things or believe the hype because there is a lot of work to be put in,” he said.

Simmons was drafted by the 76ers with the top pick of the 2016 NBA Draft but had to sit out last season when he broke his foot in training camp.

It robbed Simmons and his longtime Australian friend, Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum, of living their childhood dreams of playing each other in an NBA game.

It was dashed again when Exum seriously injured his shoulder in a pre- season game and likely will miss the season.

Simmons said he was confident his mate would be back, particularly since he had already overcome an anterior cruciate ligament tear in 2015.

Simmons and his 76ers play game two of their 82- game NBA regular season today, hosting Australian forward Aron Baynes’ Boston Celtics.