Just two days ago, Ben Simmons lived what could possibly be the greatest day of his near 20-year existence. A life-long dream was finally fulfilled, and Simmons saw himself selected #1 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers. While Simmons knew Philadelphia was drafting him at #1 well before Thursday, that didn’t offset the overwhelming joy that had surrounded Ben that night.
Seeing his name appear on the big screen; Hearing hundreds upon hundreds of Sixers’ fans screaming his name in the Barclays center; Shaking Commissioner Adam Silver’s hand on the center stage; It was all part of a long, detailed plan Simmons had envisioned experiencing for a long, long time.
Friday, Ben Simmons lived his first official day a Philadelphia 76er. He was officially a member of the National Basketball Association, and life was great.
Nonetheless, his joy would be short-lived.
The following day, Saturday, June 25th, Simmons received the phone call every human dreads of hearing: The unexpected passing of a loved one. In this case, Zachary Simmons, the close cousin of Ben Simmons. Zach was the victim of a hit-and-run incident.
Zachary was alongside Ben in the Barclays Center on Thursday to watch his cousin get drafted. He was just 21 years old.
The incident, which is still under investigation, happened around 3:30 A.M. on Saturday in Hoboken, New Jersey. According to CBS New York, Zachary Simmons was out celebrating a friend’s birthday Friday evening when he was struck and killed by a car exceeding 70 MPH. No suspects have been named yet, but Police are on the look out for a “Black Cadillac Escalade, Yukon or Tahoe, which may have had New York license plates”.
Ben Simmons, who’s been going through a roller coaster of emotions over the past few days, maintained a close relationship with his cousin and is obviously distraught upon hearing this news.
“Hearing the news this morning is a reminder to never forget the important things in life”, Ben Simmons tweeted Saturday evening. “I’m glad I could share this moment in my life with you. Rest in peace Cuzzo. Much love Zachary Simmons #rip”.
#ripZacharySimmons ?? pic.twitter.com/3MXEOn0xTW
— Ben Simmons (@BenSimmons25) June 26, 2016
Rest in peace, Zachary Simmons.
