LeBron James calls LSU's Ben Simmons an 'unbelievable talent'

— -- NEW ORLEANS - Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James has heard  LSU freshman  Ben Simmons being called "the next LeBron." Even though James recently called for basketball greats to stop being judged against one another, he says he is OK with the comparison being made between him and Simmons.

"I don't mind it," James said Friday prior to the Cavs' game against the New Orleans Pelicans, which Simmons attended, taking a seat in the section behind Cleveland's bench in the third quarter. "Someone's going to be compared to someone all the time and I don't mind him being compared to me. People not only recognizing what he does on the floor, but he's a great kid, too. He has a great family, great support system, and that's why he's able to do what he [does] on the floor."

Simmons, playing in nearby Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has taken the NCAA by storm, averaging 19.9 points, 14.9 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.6 blocks through the Tigers' first seven games.

James said his relationship with the 6-foot-10 Australian product goes back long before college, however.

"I've watched him a lot but I've watched him way before he showed up at Baton Rouge," James said. "I've been on him for probably three or four years now and he's an unbelievable talent."

The pair also spent time this past summer at the Nike Basketball Academy in Santa Monica, California, where James was an instructor and Simmons was a counselor. The two also regularly speak on the phone, according to a recent report by Yahoo Sports. "I just get a lot of advice from him," Simmons said of James to Yahoo. "He's like a big brother to me."

While Simmons was already considered a potential No. 1 pick in the 2016 NBA draft before LSU's season even started, some of his performances -- 21 points and 20 rebounds against  Marquette; 43 points, 17 rebounds, seven assists, five steals and three blocks against  North Florida -- have been eye-popping, to say the least. Yet James said nothing Simmons is doing has caught him off guard.

"Nah, I'm not surprised," James said. "He's a talented guy. The coach [Johnny Jones] at the University allows him to showcase his talent, and that's what he's capable of doing."