The 2023 NBA Draft will go down in history as one of the most anticipated drafts of all time. In a lottery pick race like no other, several teams tanked their entire 2022-23 season to get the top picks in the draft. The two players that headlined the race however, were the 7’5 French phenom Victor Wembanyama and G League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson.

The duo faced off in an epic pre-draft battle when Henderson’s G League Ignite took on Wembanyama’s Metropolitans 92. The two showed off exceptional skills to reassure the world about their credibility. However, months after their matchup, former ESPN sportscaster weighed in on Scoot Henderson’s potential.

Bill Simmons talks about Scoot Henderson

Scoot Henderson was picked third overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the draft. After much anticipation, he played his first ever game for the Blazers in the NBA Summer League. It took Henderson just 21 minutes to show the world what he is capable of. He put his incredible ball handling skills, vision and athleticism on display, scoring 13 points in just the first half of the game. He also racked up 6 assists and 5 rebounds.

The 19-year-old got to every spot he wanted to on the court, before sustaining an injury to end his Summer League play. His highly impressive stint had NBA fans and analysts awestruck. The $120M net worthing Bill Simmons was one of them.

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Simmons recently discussed the 6’2 guard from the G League Ignite on his podcast. He hosted Ryen Russillo for this chat and asked about Henderson. “I fell in love with him all over again in that first quarter,” Russillo said. “I f***ing love him.”

Simmons then talked about Henderson’s potential and future in the league. “He’s gonna be a f***ing star,” he exclaimed. “He just has it. I’ve been watching basketball my whole life…..he f***ing has it. He can do two things that you can see right away….I haven’t seen anybody this young be able to do this since Rose and Westbrook.”

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Simmons went on to make further bold statements in regard to the No.3 draft pick, also bringing in NBA superstars into the conversation.

“LeBron was like this”

Apart from analyzing Henderson’s ball game, Simmons spoke about Damian Lillard and the Charlotte Hornets: “This guy is a star and the Blazers have to trade Dame….the Charlotte thing is gonna live in infamy“.

About Henderson’s attitude, Simmons said, “He’s a f***ing Alpha. He owned the court….we were just in awe of him.” After multiple comments analyzing the teen sensation’s game, the sportscaster said: “LeBron was like this….there’s real urgency if I’m Portland“.

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Henderson’s insane athleticism and speed has often drawn comparisons to the former MVP, Russell Westbrook. His performance in the matchup against the No.1 draft pick, Victor Wembanyama and his first game in the Summer League only provided glimpses of his exceptional potential. However, it will be interesting to see how the young prodigy fares in the NBA.