July 25, 2016
In the month since the Sixers picked LSU's Ben Simmons first overall in the NBA Draft, the potential franchise cornerstone has already endeared himself to the city of Philadelphia. He's done the cheesesteak bit on late night TV. He's "run through the streets of Philadelphia" (i.e., been Photoshopped doing so) as an homage to "Creed." He's even dazzled threading the needle on the court, where it counts, in the NBA's Summer League.
After wrapping up scrimmages in Vegas, Simmons showcased another likable side of himself at an area mall. Two brothers who were out shopping at a Kicks USA store happened to bump into the 6-foot-10 point forward and struck up a conversation about footwear.
The older brother, YouTube user Hopein8er, filmed some of the interaction and later uploaded it in a vlog with the full story (h/t Dime Magazine).
In a nutshell, when Simmons asked the younger kid which shoes he wanted, the pair he requested didn't fit, so Simmons held up a $150 pair of Nike Foamposites. The kid liked them, Simmons made the purchase and the two got together for a photo.
Outside of random chance and planned appearances, it's not often that fans get an opportunity to meet professional athletes and see the human side of their day-to-day lives. In this case, Simmons showed obvious gratitude for his accomplishments and decided to pay it forward. If karma is legit, we hope this kindness translates for the Sixers in October and in the years to come.
