Andrew Bogut says Ben Simmons is already Australia’s greatest basketballer

ANDREW Bogut might be basketball royalty, but he says it’s already time to give Philadelphia 76ers’ star Ben Simmons the throne as Australia’s best-ever basketballer. VOTE

Ben Simmons is already Australia’s greatest player, Andrew Bogut says. Picture: Getty Images/AFP

GIVE the kid the throne now.

That’s the view of former NBA No.1 draft pick Andrew Bogut, who says Philadelphia 76ers’ star Ben Simmons is already Australia’s greatest-ever basketballer.

Bogut — who has a claim to the title he’s bestowed upon Simmons — says the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, at just 22, has already proven he’s the country’s best.

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“He’s going to go down as our greatest basketball player ever, there’s no doubt about it,” 2015 NBA champion Bogut told the Herald Sun.

“You don’t like labelling anyone in their second full professional year as the greatest ever, but it’s going to happen, so if you do it now or 10 years time, it doesn’t really matter.

“He obviously will have a long career, he’s very, very young still.”

Simmons is only two games into his second NBA season but a triple double against Chicago on Friday tied Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd and Norm Van Lier (13) for the second-most triple-doubles through a player’s first two NBA seasons, behind only Oscar Robertson.

Whether it’s a flashy between-the-legs pass for a trailing Joel Embiid slam, a remarkable in motion, over-the-shoulder dish for a Markelle Fultz bucket or splitting defenders with his athleticism and rocking the rim himself, sometimes it’s as if Simmons is playing the game in slow motion.

Ben Simmons dominated the Bulls with a triple double on Friday. Picture: AP

And while there are those pesky questions about the Melbourne-born star’s jumpshot — or lackthereof — Bogut says it hasn’t hampered him.

“What’s made about his shot — how he can’t really shoot the basketball right now and whatnot — he’s still, with having that big hindrance, putting up fantastic numbers and still gets to the basket at will, which is kind of scary,” Bogut, now a Sydney King after 13 NBA seasons, said.

“I think he’ll continue to get better and better and I think It’ll be exciting to watch his progression but he’s got a very good chance of being one of the best players in the NBA, not just from Australia.”

Andrew Bogut is back in Australia, throwing down in the NBL, after a brilliant NBA career. Picture: AAP