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Hayes: A great night for Ben and Dave Simmons

NEW YORK - One of a father's greatest joys is watching his child when his child doesn't know he's watching.

Proud father Dave Simmons (left) hugs his son Ben, who was selected first overall by the Sixers.
Proud father Dave Simmons (left) hugs his son Ben, who was selected first overall by the Sixers.Read moreYONG KIM / Staff Photographer

NEW YORK - One of a father's greatest joys is watching his child when his child doesn't know he's watching.

Dave Simmons was walking past the family's living room in Melbourne, Australia, one evening when he saw his youngest son, Ben, playing a video game. Well, not exactly playing it.

"It was the NBA 2K - I'm not sure what it's called," Dave said. "I remember one day watching him. He was watching the interview part. On the game, they're having these conversations: 'I didn't do enough to help the team.' I mean, how many kids take the time to go through that phase of the game, instead of skipping ahead and just playing? I remember him going through those interviews for a while. He studied everything. He even studied that."

If there is any question about Ben Simmons' professionalism, that little tale should help answer it. Simmons averaged 19.2 points on 56 percent shooting, 11.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals in his one season at LSU, but there's more to him than impressive stats. He pays attention to the smallest detail, prepares for every eventuality, and that's one reason - a big reason - why the Sixers took Simmons with the No. 1 overall pick Thursday night.

He added 20 pounds of muscle to his 6-10 frame since March and now weighs 240 pounds, 20 more than Lamar Odom, a similarly skilled swingman, ever weighed. He ignored assertions that, because his team failed to make the NCAA tournament field, Simmons cruised through his single season at LSU because the NBA waited on the other side. He comes from solid bloodlines; Dave, a Bronx native, played for 13 years in Australia, then raised a family there. Ben chose LeBron James and Nike, rock-solid NBA brands, to support him as a 19-year-old rookie.

The Sixers took Simmons because, somehow, Dave Simmons produced an NBA-ready kid. Ready for everything.

"It will be his approach," Dave said. "I've told him, 'You're now a professional, and you need to act accordingly. Everything you do has to be with the sole purpose of getting better as a player and as a person. If you follow those simple guidelines, you'll be fine.' "

That's the sort of advice last year's first-round pick, Jahlil Okafor, could have used last season. The Sixers suspended Okafor for two games after street fighting and traffic incidents.

Simmons' 30-year-old halfbrother, Sean, will chaperone Ben in Philadelphia, at least at first. The arrangement is similar to that of Eagles rookie quarterback Carson Wentz, whose brother Zach will shepherd him through his first few NFL seasons.

"It's going to be a strange dynamic, because Sean's the older brother, but Ben's the boss," Dave said with a laugh. "They'll have to figure that out. I'm not sure what I'm doing, or his mother, but if he wants us close, we're happy to do whatever he needs."

There was never a moment of epiphany for Dave in regard to Ben; in fact, not until Ben dominated games at LSU did Dave know for sure that Ben could make it in the NBA.

"I really can't say I knew five years ago, or anything like that. He was always a work in progress," Dave said.

He realizes Ben still has plenty of work to do. Ben said the Sixers, who had no point guard when he worked out in Philadelphia on Tuesday, discussed him serving as the primary ballhandler, as James often does and as Magic Johnson did for most of his career. Simmons' ballhandling and perimeter game must first improve.

It warms the father's heart that his son is in the hands of a trusted friend. Sixers coach Brett Brown coached Dave Simmons more than 25 years ago, in Australia.

"It's an amazing story. You couldn't have scripted it any better," said Dave, who has refrained from giving Ben advice on how to please Brown: "He has to develop a relationship with Brett on his own."

You get the impression that, despite the support system around him, Ben Simmons is capable of developing everything quite nicely on his own. He isn't yet 20, but he's all business. On a night notorious for outlandish formalwear, Simmons, the unquestioned star of the evening, wore a conservative suit. As other draftees glad-handed and posed for selfies in the hour before the proceedings, Simmons sat at his table in front of the stage, polite and stoic. He smiled once, about 7 minutes before the Sixers went on the clock, and he grinned broadly as he hugged his parents when the pick was announced.

He betrayed no anxiety, though he felt plenty.

"It honestly feels like all this pressure just has hopped off me," he said. "My legs were shaking when I was on stage."

You would never have known it. It was as if Simmons had prepared for this moment all of his short life. He might be just as nervous when the Sixers' season begins - a moment for which, he promised, he will continue to feverishly ready himself.

"He has the potential to be a very good player," Dave said. "He probably doesn't realize his own potential. He has so many natural gifts. It's going to be a joy to watch him continue to evolve."

It will be a special joy, for the father.

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