Comparing LeBron to Ben isn’t a game James wants to play
PHILADELPHIA » Considering he’s a player essentially without peer in the NBA, LeBron James isn’t one to waste energy playing basketball’s version of the match game, especially since so many others do.
Seemingly bored by the subject, one of many he’s been repeatedly asked about over the years as competitors come and competitors go, James said Monday that no, he wasn’t interested in comparing himself to Ben Simmons.
Or, well, you know ... viceversa.
“It’s not about me versus Ben, it’s about Cavs versus 76ers,” the world’s best basketball player said during a late-morning Cavaliers shootaround at Wells Fargo Center. “We want to continue to play good ball. They’ve been playing good ball, espe-
-cially at home. So it’s not about me versus him, at all.”
And on it went, to a question about Simmons’ friendship with James — they share the same agent, they’ve spent offseason hours together — and how he worked with James last summer, and how in October Simmons had referred to James as “the enemy” when asked how he’d feel facing him in a regular season game.
That time was finally here, as the Cavaliers were to take on Simmons and the Sixers Monday night at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
“We’ve got a great relationship,” James said dismissively. “He’s been great.”
But the comparisons between the 32-year-old NBA superstar and the 21-yearold Sixers rookie whose game seems to emulate that of James, will continue. At least for as long as James remains on top of the game.
The way he sees it, however, there’s nothing to gain by playing into such comparison games at this point.
“I don’t know, that’s for you guys. You guys do that comparison stuff,” James said. “Ben is his own makeup of speed, power, quickness, ability to pass the ball, and his feel for the game. That’s Ben. I am who I am, and so on and so on. You guys do that comparison stuff.”
And so it went ... to the next question.
This time the take was on how long James could indeed stay above the NBA’s fray. As a point of comparison, a reference was made to how 40-yearold Michael Jordan had averaged 20 points per game.
Now this latest interview game was getting interesting, as James looked up from under the wool hat he was wearing at courtside, and revealed himself as every bit a sports fan and typical man ... who’s no fan of the age game.
“Ah, I don’t think that ...damned far into the future,” James said with a bit of a yelp. “I’ll be 33 in December, man. That’s too far. Excuse my language, but sheesh.”
Now loose, James talked about his powers of prediction and knowledge, for this and other games. He reminded this Philadelphia media group that he had said some time ago that Sixers fans should preach patience because the team would grow and prosper.
“They’ve given Brett (Brown) an opportunity to implement his system,” James said. “...I think it’s paying dividends now; sprinkling in some veterans with the young guys. The young guys are playing extremely well, with (Joel) Embiid and obviously Ben, and they brought in veterans like JJ Redick and Amir Johnson. So they’ve kind of reshaped their whole roster for the greater good.
“You just have to be patient,” James added. “Obviously you guys have a mantra here of ‘Trust the Process.’ But you have to be patient; if you want to try to build something, you can’t just automatically think it’s going to happen overnight. The organization has done a great job of believing in Brett Brown’s system, believing in what he wanted to do. And they gave him some time. You have a lot of teams, a lot of organizations in all sports kind of give up on the system, or give up on the guy very fast and don’t allow him to implement things and get players. You’ve got to have players, too.”
To that response of Philadelphia management patience, no one brought up the name of Sam Hinkie. But hey, why ruin this game?
King James was rolling, after all.
So since this was Philadelphia, and LeBron James is such a special, once-aseason interview opportunity, another very topical, terribly important comparison question had to be asked...
LeBron, what do you have to say you about the Eagles?!?!?!?
Surprisingly, he’s into that game, too.
“I’ve got three guys that I love watching play; Tom Brady, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell — they’re on the same team so I get the opportunity to watch those guys at the same time. But my favorite player right now is Carson Wentz,” James said. “I told my brother that, early in the season, that I just love the way he plays the game. The way he’s able to get the progressions throughout the course of a three-step drop or a fivestep drop, then if everything breaks down, his ability to run outside the pocket. He’s able to get out and pass or get yards with his feet. He’s a very smart player.
“(That’s) from the outside looking in, obviously. (But) I know they’ve got a really good team. I’m a Cowboy fan and I’m a Browns fan. But I’m a fan of sports and I know sports.”
That declared, James was asked if he was a fan of the Browns’ move to bypass Wentz in the draft. Uh-oh, game over. “Uh, they’ve passed a lot,” LeBron James said with finality.