Ben Simmons was among the more celebrated high school basketball players in recent memory prior to attending LSU. In the upcoming “One & Done” documentary for Showtime, the No. 1 overall pick in the year’s NBA Draft spoke about his lone year in college.
Not surprisingly, considering his stature, Simmons was hounded while in Baton Rouge by agents and other people offering him a host of expensive items. In the documentary, via ESPN, Simmons said he was offered “a Bentley, a Wraith Rolls-Royce, watches, jewelry, and a house.”
At one point, Simmons also sounded off on how he felt going to LSU was a waste of time and that he vowed to be a “voice for everybody in college.”
“The NCAA is messed up,” Simmons says in the documentary. “I don’t have a voice. I don’t get paid to do it. Don’t say I’m an amateur and make me take pictures and sign stuff and go make hundreds of thousands of millions of dollars off one person. I’m going off on the NCAA. Just wait, just wait. I can be a voice for everybody in college. I’m here because I have to be here. I can’t get a degree in two semesters, so it’s kind of pointless. I feel like I’m wasting time.”
With Simmons at LSU, there were big expectations for the team that ultimately went unfulfilled. The Tigers went 19-14 and 11-7 in SEC play. They missed out on the NCAA Tournament and elected not to participate in postseason play at all. Not long after the season ended, Simmons withdrew from LSU to prepare for the NBA Draft, where he was selected No. 1 overall by the Sixers.
Over the summer, while participating in a scrimmage, Simmons suffered a broken bone in his foot that required surgery. Early reports expect the 20-year-old to have an extended absence as a result, delaying Simmons’ debut as a professional.
