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NBA legend Dr. J reveals 1 player he considers 'once-in-a-lifetime'

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Philadelphia 76ers legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving had high praise for one of the new faces on Philadelphia’s current squad —  rookie phenom Ben Simmons.

Erving lauded Simmons on Tuesday following the unveiling ceremony for a statue of the Hall of Famer erected outside the 76ers’ practice facility.

“Once-in-a-decade, maybe once-in-a-lifetime-type player,” Erving said of the rookie point guard, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

“He’s able to make everybody better immediately each and every time down the floor; guys are spotting up or looking to cut or keying off of triggers that come out of his handling skills,” Erving added.

Simmons has indeed impressed in his first professional season. The 2016 first overall draft pick, who missed all of the 2016-17 season due to a foot injury, is making up for lost time. He’s averaging 15.8 points per game to go along with 8.1 rebounds and 8.1 assists.

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He’s already got 11 triple-doubles on the season, and his team has won 12 consecutive games.

“Sometimes it looks like he’s got eyes in the back of his head,” Erving said, “because he sees and feels one of his guys making a run to the hoop or spotting up at certain positions. That’s just a gifted player that we are very fortunate to have on our team.”

Without a doubt, Simmons is the favorite to be named this season’s rookie of the year, and it does not appear as though he has any intention of slowing down.

In fact, over his last 10 contests, he’s averaging a triple-double. Moreover, Simmons and Oscar Robertson are the only two players to rack up both 600 rebounds and 600 assists in their rookie seasons, according to ESPN.

Do you think Ben Simmons is a once-in-a-lifetime player?

Prior to Tuesday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets, Simmons said he felt honored that Erving holds him in such high regard.

“He pretty much built this team up, the name of the Sixers based on the way he played,” Simmons said, according to The Inquirer. “It’s amazing (that Erving praised him). Amazing to hear that.”

Simmons went on to score 15 points, with 12 rebounds and six assists, against the Nets.

The following day, in a win against the Detroit Pistons, Simmons was good for 16 points, with six rebounds and seven assists.

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Due in large part to their star rookie’s efforts, the 76ers have clinched their first playoff appearance since the 2011-12 season.

Philadelphia is currently 48-30, tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the number three spot in the Eastern Conference, with four games to go in the regular season.

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Joe Setyon was a deputy managing editor for The Western Journal who had spent his entire professional career in editing and reporting. He previously worked in Washington, D.C., as an assistant editor/reporter for Reason magazine.
Joe Setyon was deputy managing editor for The Western Journal with several years of copy editing and reporting experience. He graduated with a degree in communication studies from Grove City College, where he served as managing editor of the student-run newspaper. Joe previously worked as an assistant editor/reporter for Reason magazine, a libertarian publication in Washington, D.C., where he covered politics and wrote about government waste and abuse.
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