LeBron James‘ longevity and fitness level is something, which is admired by the entire league. However, according to an interesting observation made by a Redditor, Bron’s numbers are too good when compared to Ben Simmons’, who has missed quite some games in his eight-year career so far.
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Recently, u/SorryAbootEh took to Reddit and revealed that Bron’s stint with the Los Angeles Lakers has been more expansive than Simmons’ entire career. Since joining the LA side in 2018, the 4x champion has played 333 regular season games in the Lakers uniform. Whereas, since 2016, Simmons has only suited up for 332 regular season games.
It is also worth noting that the King also has more playoff appearances, as a member of the Lakers, than the LSU alum. Since 2018, the King has only made it to three postseason appearances – 2020, 2021, and 2023. In these three playoffs, the 6ft 9” forward has played a combined 43 games. On the other hand, Simmons has had three postseason appearances, all of which came during his stint with the Philadelphia 76ers. In total, the 6ft 10” guard suited up for only 34 games.
Ben Simmons’ injury-riddled season has been the biggest reason for the same. The #1 pick of the 2016 draft missed the entirety of the 2016-2017 season due to an ankle injury. After playing a significant amount of games in the next two years, he suffered a lower back injury and knee injury in 2020.
Following an awful performance in the 2021 postseason, Simmons sat out for the entire 2021-2022 season citing back injuries and mental health issues. Since being traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2022, the pass-first player has only suited up for 57 games. And according to the latest updates, it doesn’t seem as though he will be getting on the court any time soon.
LeBron James is lauded for his durability hence, this observation isn’t very shocking. However, the fact that James has managed to surpass Simmons despite suffering a gruesome groin injury in 2018-2019, is impressive.
Early on in his career, Ben Simmons was touted to be the “next LeBron James”. Several analysts were blown away by the youngster’s athleticism, versatility, and ability to make his teammates better –traits similar to James.
However, Simmons’ career has taken a massive dip since the 2021 postseason. He barely suits up for any games. And when he does set foot on the hardwood, he visibly lacks confidence and is far from the superstar he once was.
