Ben Simmons wanting to speak with Magic Johnson isn’t as deep as Sixers fans think

NBA: Toronto Raptors at Philadelphia 76ers

Everybody is going crazy over Ben Simmons potentially speaking with Magic Johnson over the offseason.

On Sunday afternoon, the Los Angeles Lakers came to Philadelphia for a matchup with the Sixers, and it didn’t end well for them. Although the game was close for the first three quarters, the Sixers had no problem closing out the game with a convincing win against Los Angeles.

Despite the Sixers big win though, nobody can stop talking about what happened before the game even tipped off. Lakers General Manager Magic Johnson was in the building on Sunday and decided to let off a little unknown tidbit to the Philly media regarding Sixers superstar, Ben Simmons.

Apparently, Simmons has a desire to talk “big guard things” with Johnson over the summer and has requested permission from the 76ers to do so. What does that mean exactly? Well, it’s clear that Simmons is seeking for some advice from a former great. It’s not a huge deal, but being that Johnson is the GM for the Lakers, which is also tied with the city of Los Angeles and LeBron James, and just like that we have an imaginary controversy on our hands in Philly sports once again.

What’s the big deal?

For the last year or so, the Philadelphia fan base has grown to be insecure of Ben Simmons future with the Sixers. Many believe that it’s only a matter of time until Simmons forces his way out of the East Coast and joins the Lakers for the Los Angeles lifestyle.

While Simmons gets compared to LeBron based off of his game on the court, many see Simmons as the type who wants to be the star of a team in a major market as well. So basically, the LeBron decision that occurred this past summer is the same exact move that NBA fans expect Simmons to make at some point. I’m not saying that isn’t the case – but I definitely don’t believe that such an assumption can be made from a player who is seeking advice from a former great.

Was Magic overreacting?

Here’s another reason why nobody should be worried about this ‘secret meeting’: Sixers General Manager Elton Brand already shot it down. Knowing that the circumstances could be viewed as tampering by the NBA, Brand decided to put a stop to this meeting before it even had a chance to be scheduled.

The strange factor about this entire ‘meeting’ was the fact that it has been shot down “over a month ago,” according to Elton Brand. Simmons put together a list of former greats that he would like to speak with in the offseason, and Johnson happened to be on the list.

Right away, Brand denied Simmons’ request, and that was it. Now, it just looks like Magic Johnson is either still pushing for the meeting to go down for a personal gain involving the Lakers. Or, he just wanted to toy with the Philly media. Either way, there’s nothing for the Sixers to worry about. The situation is not that deep.

 

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