Philadelphia 76ers executives thought they had a good chance to sign LeBron James this summer and were disappointed when he spurned them in free agency for the Los Angeles Lakers.
So, too, was Australia's rising 76ers star Ben Simmons.
Simmons, the NBA's 2017-18 Rookie of the Year, said he was "a little bit" disappointed that James chose the Lakers.
"At the same time, he did the right thing for him and his family," the 22-year-old Simmons told the Daily Telegraph.
"But it would've been great to learn from him, him being on the team and obviously competing for a championship. But we have pieces to get there."
The 76ers finished last season at 50-32 and the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. They lost to Boston in the conference semifinals.
Simmons averaged 15.8 points, 8.2 assists, 8.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 81 regular-season games. He also averaged 16.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists in 10 playoff games.
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