17 Things You Didn't Know About Ben Simmons

1.

The NBA Draft is quickly approaching and Ben Simmons will likely be the first name called by commissioner Adam Silver on June 23. The Sixers are reportedly leaning heavily toward taking Simmons with the first overall pick, which would make him the face of their franchise, just like Allen Iverson was when he was taken first by Philly back in the legendary 1996 NBA Draft.

The spotlight will certainly be on the LSU product—who has been compared favorably to LeBron James and Tracy McGrady— between now and the draft, so it's a great time to get to know him a little better. Get ready Sixers (or Lakers) fans. Here are 17 Things You Didn't Know About Ben Simmons.

2.He’s a big opera fan.

Most 19-year-old guys are into Drake, Future, and Chance the Rapper. Not this guy. Simmons instead opts for opera, according to his teammates.

3.He has a pet bearded dragon named Mutombo.

If you were to ask Simmons if he was a dog or a cat person, he may instead tell you he’s a bearded dragon person. He has a pet bearded dragon named Mutombo, named of course after NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo. Yes, the same Dikembe Mutombo who may have correctly predicted Simmons getting picked No. 1 by the Sixers before the lottery even happened. Simmons showed off his pet back in September.

4.His dad is a basketball legend in Australia.

Dave Simmons, Ben’s New York City-born dad, played 13 years in Australia’s NBL, including seven years with the Melbourne Tigers. He won a championship with the Tigers in 1993 and has his jersey retired by the franchise.

5.He's childhood friends with Jazz PG Dante Exum.

Utah Jazz point guard and fellow Aussie Dante Exum have known each other since Simmons was seven years old. Their fathers played together briefly on the Melbourne Tigers, which fostered a friendship that continues to this day.

6.Sixers head coach Brett Brown coached Simmons’ dad in Australia.

Brown in all likelihood will be Simmons’ first coach, which is interesting since he already has experience coaching the Simmons family. Brown was an assistant for the Melbourne Tigers from 1988-1993, where Dave Simmons played. The Sixers’ head coach also coached the fathers of Kyrie Irving and Dante Exum while they played in Australia.

7.He's a Knicks and Heat fan.

Simmons said in 2012 that his favorite teams are the Heat and Knicks. That was back when LeBron’s talents were in South Beach and the Knicks were a playoff team, so there’s a good chance things may have changed.

8.President Obama shouted him out in January.

You know you’re a big deal when the President name drops you. When President Obama made a trip to Louisiana in January, he sarcastically called Simmons an “okay basketball player” during a speech.

He later mentioned Simmons in a tweet, favorably comparing him to Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant. High praise coming from the commander-in-chief.

9.He played James Harden even in game of 1-on-1 last summer.

Simmons, fresh out of high school, faced off against James Harden, fresh off an NBA MVP runner-up season, in a 1-on-1 last summer. Seems like that’s a gimme for Harden, right?

Wrong. Simmons apparently held his own against one of the league’s best players. Not bad for a college kid.

10.He TBTed a picture of him and Steph Curry from when he was 14.

Your TBTs probably consist of some old baby pictures, pictures of your awkward teenage years, or snaps from two weeks ago at the bar. (Two weeks old isn’t a throwback, by the way.)

Simmons goes far beyond any of that. He posted a picture of him and Steph Curry, which Simmons said was taken when he was 14. That’s probably better than any selfie you’ve posted to Instagram this week.

11.His half-sister, Emily, is married to former NFL running back Michael Bush.

Ben and his dad aren’t the only pro athletes sitting at the Simmons family Thanksgiving table. His half-sister is married to ex-NFL running back Michael Bush, who played parts of eight seasons in the NFL with the Raiders, Bears, and Cardinals.

12.He won a silver medal at the 2012 FIBA Under-17 World Championship with Australia.

Simmons helped lead Team Australia to the gold medal game against Team USA, which was led by his potential future Sixers teammate Jahlil Okafor. Okafor’s American team trounced Simmons’ Australia by a final score of 95-62.

13.Simmons’ favorite shoes are the LeBron Zoom Soldiers.

"On the court I definitely wear LeBrons,” Simmons told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2015. "I wouldn't wear anything else."

He also has an extensive collection of LSU-themed LeBron 13’s, which he has shown off on Twitter.

14.He calls LeBron James a “mentor.”

Simmons’ affection for LeBron James footwear may come in part from his personal relationship with King James himself.

"I know LeBron," he told the Sydney Morning Herald. "He's like a mentor to me. We call every now and again. I'll text him if there's something I need to know."

Simmons first met LeBron at James’ Skills Academy in 2013, a showcase for budding teenage basketball prospects.

15.He’s being compared to some of the greats of the game.

LSU assistant David Patrick told the Sydney Morning Herald that scouts see a lot of LeBron and Tracy McGrady in his game.

“At the Nike camp, I ask basketball experts whether his game reminds them of a particular player. A few say Magic Johnson or Tracy McGrady—big men with point guard skills—but the most common answer is his hero, King James. Everybody compares him to LeBron," Patrick said. "He laughs at the audacity of it. I know that's a high bar, but there's not many guys that tall that can handle the ball.”

16.LSU assistant coach David Patrick is Simmons’ godfather.

Simmons and David Patrick, who finished his fourth season as an LSU assistant, are evidently so close that Simmons didn’t even visit any other schools. He knew right off the bat he wanted to go to LSU to play under his godfather. Simmons' decision to go to LSU, as opposed to other basketball powerhouses, raised eyebrows when it was announced. But family is family.

17.Dick Vitale was starstruck when he met Simmons at a high school game.

Dickie V has been the face of ESPN’s college hoops brand since he came to the network just three months into its existence in December of 1979. He’s pretty famous.

But even he seemed a little bit starstruck when he met Simmons during his junior year of high school in 2013, snapping a picture with the future lottery pick.

You know you’ve made it when you’re a high school junior and Dick Vitale wants to meet you.

18.Brett Brown sounds pretty pumped to coach him.

Brett Brown was excited to land the No. 1 pick and the Sixers coach sounds pretty excited at the prospect of leading Simmons.

“He’s got a hint of Magic [Johnson], and at times you can see a younger LeBron where you are not sure what position he is,” Brown said. “One moment you think he is a 4, maybe he is a 3, he looks comfortable handling the ball.”

Brown hasn’t seen much magic over his three years with the Sixers, as his teams have combined for only a .191 winning percentage. Beleaguered Philadelphia fans can only hope that Simmons is the final piece of Sam Hinkie’s infamous “Process.”