Simmons’ basketball IQ and starvation for the sport have all the time been evident. He cites LeBron James, Magic Johnson, and Dwyane Wade as his three primary influences growing up. “Those were the three people that I watched the most in terms of film and their games,” he shared. Simmons even reached out to Magic Johnson in 2019, expressing curiosity in understanding with the Lakers’ president on the time. The NBA investigated whether or not this contact violated any guidelines, however in the end discovered no challenge. Simmons stays captivated by Johnson’s basketball brilliance. “Magic was dominant,” Simmons stated. “He was 6’9”, might deal with the ball, had nice imaginative and prescient, and nice really feel for the sport. Individuals take passing and ball-handling with no consideration. There are some guys within the league who can’t dribble the ball. We name them ‘tunas.’ However Magic, LeBron, and Wade have been those I studied essentially the most.” -via ScoopB.com / February 5, 2025
