Ben Simmons' dreams of winning an Olympic medal for the Boomers in Tokyo will hinge on the success of the 76ers' NBA season, with the Australian star still hopeful of competing at the 2021 games.<\/p>\n
If the Sixers fulfill their potential under new coach Doc Rivers and make a big playoff run and make the finals, a Game 7 would take place just three days before the men's basketball tournament begins.<\/p>\n
Many of the NBA's biggest stars will forego an offseason if they elect to play at the Tokyo games. If quarantine times are implemented it will almost certainly make it impossible for the game's best players to make the trip with COVID-19 testing and quarantine requirements for the games still unknown.<\/p>\n
Despite many potential setbacks in the way and a long season ahead, Simmons said he still has hopes of competing in the Olympics.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
"Ultimately I want to play in the Olympics. I want to experience that, I want to win a medal," Simmons said on Saturday.<\/p>\n
"Hopefully that all works out with time and everything and if I'm healthy."<\/p>\n
Simmons pulled out of the Australian team for the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China to focus on his NBA career after signing a five-year contract extension with the 76ers.<\/p>\n
New Boomers coach Brian Goorjian said last month that Simmons is "crucial to our chances of winning a medal".<\/p>\n
"Ben is obviously very high on my priority list," Goorjian said.<\/p>\n
"He is a phenomenal basketball player, and he would be great for this (Olympic) campaign.<\/p>\n
"He is a piece that could make a big difference in us medalling.<\/p>\n
"I'm sure all the players would be excited if he were to be a part of the team.<\/p>\n
"I don't know where Ben sits, as far as it being something he wants to do, but I certainly will be contacting him to see how he sees this."<\/p>\n
The upcoming season will be his first working under Rivers, with the Aussie spending all of his career to date with Brett Brown.<\/p>\n
In preparation for the 2021 season, Rivers said that he is not worried about Simmons' shot and recent additions like Danny Green and Seth Curry suggests they won't push the star to change his habits.<\/p>\n
"It's important to make shots, but it's more important to win so however the win happens, it happens," said the star guard. <\/p>\n
"I know Doc and Sam (Cassell) are going to put me in the right positions to do that and be dominant so I'm just looking forward to getting out there and seeing what they have to offer in terms of my situation on the floor and where I'm going to be.<\/p>\n
"I'm a player man," Simmons added. "There is no one, two, three, four, five [positions] with me. I'm a player. <\/p>\n
"I don't think you can put me in a position because of my talents and what I can go out there and do. But Doc would say the same thing, I go out there and I make plays."<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"