One of the most awaited themes of the upcoming season has been the comeback story of Ben Simmons. The forward recently produced that against LeBron James‘ side as he made his mark with his endeavors on the court. Interestingly, it resulted in the fans reminiscing about an incident from 28 months back against the Atlanta Hawks.

In that match against Trae Young‘s franchise, Simmons had a meltdown as he made headlines for the wrong reasons. This time around, the story had a different ending, as the comeback plot remained on track.

What did Ben Simmons do against LeBron James?

In the pre-season away game of the Brooklyn Nets against the Los Angeles Lakers, Ben came up with a moment of brilliance. The 27-year-old played the match proactively as he stole the ball to cause a turnover for the opponent. Attacking a loose ball, he took it away from the reach of D’Angelo Russell.

The 3-time All-Star then ran down the court to dunk the ball in front of the Lakers Nation in the second quarter. Simmons reduced the gap in points between the sides as the passage reminded the fans of his iconic moment from 2021. Against the Hawks in the Eastern Conference semi-finals that season, he failed to keep his nerve from a similar situation.

In Game 7 of the series, the former first-overall pick drove to the basket with his prowess but then passed up a wide-open dunk. It turned out to be a crucial moment of the game as his former employer Philadelphia 76ers lost the match later. This surprising decision turned Ben into a laughingstock, but his recent efforts narrated the opposite story.

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With his gameplay definitely developing over time, he displayed more maturity this time around. This makes us wonder about one possibility looming in the corner.

Can he lead the Nets to a championship?

Despite entering each season as a contender, the 76ers never quite became a dominant side in the playoffs. The 6’10 star himself failed to guide his team on numerous occasions. At the Nets, though, the team dynamic is different.

With the franchise underperforming nearly every season, Simmons can become the leader in the roster. He can be the voice that the supporters of the New York City team need to hear. In the first pre-season game at least, he has showcased glimpses of it.

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Of course, leading the squad to win an NBA championship is an entirely different ball game. This Brooklyn side has the potential to still give a fight for it. But to do so, they need their highest-paid star in form.