Andrew Mulligan: The past, present and the future - Exciting new blood emerges

LSU forward Ben Simmons is making big waves in College Basketball. Photo / AP

On Wednesday, while you were at work, school, or doing something more important, I was watching the transition of basketball stars on ESPN and online.

Australian wunderkind Ben Simmons is doing incredible things at Louisiana State University. The 19-year-old is there because he is not yet able to declare for the NBA draft, which is good because this level showcases his skills. My goodness, can he play. He's 2.08m and 115kg of perpetual motion and creativity.

The game before Wednesday's loss to North Carolina State, he posted 20 points and 20 rebounds versus Marquette. So North Carolina decided to make Simmons a facilitator for his teammates, with him handing out 10 assists. His highlight reel is already trending and the only knock on him is that he passes too much. Imagine that - an unselfish star wanting to make others around him better.

Simmons is a mate of LeBron James and there is little doubt he will be an NBA star, facing James next year when he's a rookie.

Later that afternoon, defending NBA champions the Golden State Warriors were poised to make history against a woeful Los Angeles Lakers. There was confetti stored in the ceiling of Oakland's Oracle Arena waiting to be dropped if the home team could better the best start to an NBA season with 16 wins. It was never in doubt.

Led by the league's reigning MVP, Stephen Curry, who needed to play only 30 minutes of the game, they watched as he spun, crossed over and stepped back to shoot and create for his team. His performance has multiple Vines trending but by NBA standards he's the slightest looking player, and he used to have ankles made of plastic shopping bags, but those injury-plagued days are gone and his team is the very definition of "small ball" - able to run up and down and shoot from anywhere, it seems. This is the future of the NBA and it's pretty to watch.

Harder to watch was the decline of Kobe Bryant. In his 20th season, making a comeback from an Achilles tendon tear, Bryant scored 4 points and shot 1 of 14.

It was tough to watch because he was so dominant, so elegant in his play and so successful with his teams through the turn of the millennium, winning three titles and then again in 2009 and 2010. But watching one of the greatest players the world has ever known struggle like he did against Golden State was stark.

Here was a player who would rise to the occasion, stamp his authority and fight tooth and nail for his pride to stay intact. Instead he and his team were embarrassed.

If you have the time tomorrow at 3.30pm, catch some of Golden State's game against Phoenix on ESPN. It's compelling stuff.

Keep an eye out for the career of Simmons too - he's a talent that Australia will catch on to quicker than a Jarryd Hayne update, while Lakers fans remember Bryant's great career as they secretly hope that the freshman from Melbourne ends up on their team next season.