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Ben Simmons joins Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson in elite rookie club

Abbie Parr / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Ben Simmons continues to dominate as a rookie like few ever have.

With his fifth assist on Thursday night, the Philadelphia 76ers point guard became just the third player in NBA history to notch 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 dimes as a rookie, joining Oscar Robertson and Magic Johnson.

He finished with 13 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds in the 118-110 win over the New York Knicks to record his eighth triple-double, passing Jonhson for No. 2 all time. The 21-year-old Australian trails only Robertson, who had 26 as a rookie in 1960-61.

After sitting out last season with a foot injury, Simmons has taken the NBA by storm. The 6-foot-10 floor general is averaging 16.2 points on 53.6 percent shooting to go along with 7.7 rebounds, 7.6 assists, and 1.7 steals over 65 games. He's impressed with his court vision, speed, playmaking, and defense, and is the front-runner for Rookie of the Year.

Simmons leads all rookies in boards and dimes, and is second in points behind Donovan Mitchell. He's fourth in total assists league-wide behind a trio of MVP candidates in Russell Westbrook, LeBron James, and James Harden.

Alongside Joel Embiid, Simmons has led the 76ers to the sixth-best record in the Eastern Conference.

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