A day after his grand NBA regular season debut, Ben Simmons was keeping his feet on the ground.
He lived up to all of the hype that has followed him since he moved from Australia to the US as a 16-year-old, broke records at his Florida high school and was a star on a mediocre team at Louisiana State University for a year.
Rookies often crumble in their first fully-fledged NBA game, but Simmons had 18 points and 10 rebounds on Wednesday for his Philadelphia 76ers against the Washington Wizards.
"I have a lot to prove," Simmons told reporters on a global conference call on Thursday.
Philadelphia coach Brett Brown raved about Simmons after the team's 120-115 loss and the Wizards' four-time All-Star John Wall compared the Australian to LeBron James.
Simmons was not listening to the praise.
"I just play the game and want to win, so I try not to let people get into my head or say certain things or believe the hype because there is a lot of work to be put in," the 21-year-old said.
Simmons was drafted by the 76ers with the top pick of the 2016 NBA Draft but had to sit out last season when he broke his foot in training camp.
It robbed Simmons and his longtime Australian friend, Utah Jazz guard, Dante Exum of living their childhood dreams of playing each other in an NBA game.
It was dashed again when Exum seriously injured his shoulder in a pre-season game and likely will sit out the season.
Simmons said he had reached out to Exum and was confident his mate would be back, particularly since he had already overcome an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in his left knee in 2015.
"I just told him I'm praying for him," Simmons said.
"He's going to get through it. He knows what it takes to get back.
"It sucks but it's sports, injuries happen and it's just how you handle it."
Simmons admitted he did not watch any of the three recent exhibition games between Australia's NBL teams and NBA opponents and was not lobbying for his 76ers to get involved in the match-ups.
"Whoever they put in front of us, honestly," Simmons, when asked if he would like to be in a game against an NBL team, replied.
"I think it's great they come out here and play, but whoever they put out in front that's who I want to play."
Simmons was more enthusiastic about being part of an NBA game played in Australia, particularly in his home city of Melbourne.
"I definitely want the NBA to go out to Australia," he said.
"I definitely want to go out there and play.
"It would be amazing if we could do that.
"I think it will come."
Simmons and his 76ers play game two of their 82-game NBA regular season on Friday when they host Australian forward Aron Baynes' Boston Celtics.
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