Ben Simmons is worth his weight in green and gold
Damian MartinThe West Australian
Thursday, 16 May 2019 8:53AM
Camera IconPhiladelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons.Picture: AP
Ben Simmons is no ordinary player.
He's a mega star of the game and it's amazing for basketball to have him committing to play for Australia at the World Cup.
I doubt anyone in Australia could really understand how big he is in America.
Ben's already the NBA Rookie of the Year and an All-Star.
His ball-handling and vision are equal to the top five players in the world.
As soon as he adds three-point shooting to his game, he could go down as one of the all-time greats.
I can see Ben revolutionising the game like Steph Curry or Shaquille O'Neal.
You'd be crazy not to buy a ticket to see him when Australia's World Cup team play against Canada at RAC Arena on consecutive nights in August.
It will almost certainly be the most talented team Australia has ever put together and it'll include some of the best players in the world.
Australian basketball is in an amazing phase and, in generations to come, it may not be enough to simply play in the NBA to even get a game for the Boomers.
We're also seeing how important this World Cup campaign is to all of the players.
Playing for Australia at the Olympics has always been a massive goal for every player.
Now we are seeing how important the World Cup is too.
Playing has nothing to do with money.
It's about the passion to lift Australia to victory.
Having Ben Simmons out there will dramatically increase Australia's chances of success and I'm grinning from ear to ear.
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