Ben Simmons Wants to Talk Big Guard Skills With Magic Johnson

Hall of Famer Magic Johnson created a bit of a stir within Sixers Land on Sunday afternoon when he told reporters that Ben Simmons wanted to meet with him during the summer to learn more about playing the point guard position with size.

Johnson, now the Lakers' president of basketball operations, was a phenomenal passer with incredible vision, uniquely playing the position at 6-foot-9.

Simmons runs the point at 6-foot-10 and his game has often been compared to Johnson's because of their similarities in size and skill.

So it seems like an awesome idea for a 22-year-old All-Star seeking ways to improve by reaching out to one of the best to ever play the sport.

Naturally, though, questions arose.

Could this be tampering?

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Why is Simmons working with the competition?

Is Johnson luring Simmons to Los Angeles?!?!?!

OK, deep breath. No need to panic here.

Let's look at Johnson's full comment:

He reached out to me - not to me directly, but to the Lakers - to find out if we could get together this summer. I said, ‘Hey, you've got to clear it with the league.' Everybody - the Sixers sign off, we sign off, the league signs off - that there's not nothing going on, but he wants to know how to play the position as a big guard. It's fine, I will do that. But if everybody doesn't sign off, then we can't get together.

It's no secret Simmons has a good friendship with Lakers star LeBron James as the two are represented by the same agency, Klutch Sports Group.

But that means so little to the situation here.

Following Sunday's game against the Lakers at the Wells Fargo Center, Simmons will likely be asked about his desire to meet with Johnson.

And Simmons will likely downplay it. After all, the guy just wants to get better.

Who better to ask than Magic Johnson?

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