BEN SIMMONS

Age: 24 • Point Guard, Philadelphia 76ers

Towering over the basketball court at 6 feet, 10 inches—four inches taller than the average NBA player— Philadelphia 76ers star Simmons stands head and shoulders above other pro point guards, a position typically occupied by the shortest guy on the team. “At an early age, I was encouraged to handle the ball and not be pigeonholed into a traditional position,” says Simmons, whom the Sixers selected No. 1 in 2016 after notoriously tanking the prior four seasons to win the NBA draft lottery. Now the two-time All-Star’s five-year contract is slated to be worth $177 million (endorsements are worth another $6 million annually). He recently added esports company FaZe Clan to his investment portfolio, which already includes a stake in performance technology company Hyperice. “My strategy here is simple: to invest in what I know and believe in,” says the gamer. “I think the future of esports is as strong as the NBA’s.”

JUDGES: Emmanuel Acho, host, Fox Sports (Under 30 Class of 2019); Lyle Ayes, CEO, Verance Capital; Mark Cuban, owner, Dallas Mavericks; Billie Jean King, founder, Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative