Ben Simmons is dead-set the fucking dude. Ordinarily the hype machine surrounding the Australian number one draft pick might overwhelm or diminish any early on-court results Simmons would’ve been able to post, but with just his fourth-ever NBA game, the Philadelphia 76er just made Australian basketball history, and put himself is some pretty rare air at the same time.
Simmons today posted the first triple-double of his career, during the Sixers’ 97 – 86 win over the Detroit Pistons.
That’s the first time an Australian player has scored a triple-double in NBA history (non-Kyrie Irving division). To put that in perspective, Australians have appeared in NBA games on 3,542 occasions, but until today not one has been able to attain the statistical feat. The closest anyone’s ever gotten was Andrew Bogut back in 2006, with the then-Milwaukee Buck posting 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists in a game against the Atlanta Hawks.
Today, against the Pistons, Simmons dropped 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.
https://twitter.com/nblfacts/status/922639512550830080
It gets more ridiculous. Simmons’ registered his first triple-double in just his fourth-ever NBA game. You’re not supposed to be doing that.
In fact, only legendary players Oscar Robertson and Arthur “Hambone” Williams have been able to pull off the same feat. Not one player in the modern NBA era has registered a triple-double inside the first four games of their career.
Ben Simmons joins Oscar Robertson & Hambone Williams as only players in @NBAHistory with a triple-double in one of first 4 games of career. pic.twitter.com/57k5QDkSxb
— NBA.com/Stats (@nbastats) October 24, 2017
Hell, it took LeBron James until January of his second season to post his first triple-double.
HUH-YUGE areas.
And if that weren’t enough, Simmons also became the first NBA player since a little unknown dude named Shaquille O’Neal to record at least a double-double in his first four NBA games.
Ben Simmons is the first player since Shaquille O’Neal to record a double-double in each of his first 4 career games. pic.twitter.com/E6nRxE9CTY
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) October 24, 2017
Our lad is good. Our lad is very, very, very good.
