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NBA ALL-STAR 2019

February 16, 2019

Ben Simmons

Charlotte, North Carolina

Q. Why did you get into playing basketball?
BEN SIMMONS: My father. I think my dad was definitely the reason I got into playing the game, and I fell in love with that from them.

Q. What does it mean to you to be able to give back?
BEN SIMMONS: A lot. Anytime you get an opportunity to represent your country, state, whatever it is, I think it's an amazing opportunity to take advantage of.

Q. What's your mindset going into the game, and how do you feel about being an All Star?
BEN SIMMONS: I think just looking forward to it. Looking forward to the first experience for me to be an All-Star. I think it's going to be a great opportunity. Looking forward to it. I'm competing against the best guys in the world.

Q. How's your dad feel about it?
BEN SIMMONS: He's really happy. I put in a lot of work, spent a lot of time in the gym trying to get better. So I know he's happy.

Q. On the NBA's international growth:
BEN SIMMONS: It's huge. You can see now internationally the game's gotten a lot bigger. The stage is a lot bigger. Guys from overseas can easily come and play in the league. It's gotten a lot bigger.

Q. What's been your biggest basketball rivalry over the years?
BEN SIMMONS: Rivalry? I haven't had one. I haven't had one of those matchups yet.

Q. What about the first guy you went against that you wanted to go against?
BEN SIMMONS: It's always Bron. Competing against Bron is fun.

Q. How would you describe Nikola Jokic?
BEN SIMMONS: He's hard to guard. Physically, he's a big guy. He can score the ball, he can shoot outside the paint, he can pass the ball. He can bring it up. He can really do everything.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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