HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Benjamin David Simmons (born 20 July 1996) is an Australian professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
player who plays for the
Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. The ...
of the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA). He played
college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
for one season with the LSU Tigers, after which he was named a consensus first-team
All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
and the USBWA National Freshman of the Year. Simmons was selected with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft by the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...
. After sitting out a year due to an injured right foot, he was named the
NBA Rookie of the Year The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottlieb T ...
in 2018 and was selected three times to the
NBA All-Star Game The National Basketball Association All-Star Game is the annual all-star game hosted each February by the National Basketball Association (NBA) and showcases 24 of the league's All-star, star players. Since 2022, it was held on the third Sunday of ...
. As the result of a holdout from the 76ers following the 2020–21 season, which led him to be traded to the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
, Simmons is the most-fined player in NBA history, in terms of total financial loss. Simmons attended Box Hill Senior Secondary College in his hometown of
Melbourne, Victoria Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
, before moving to the United States to attend Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. In his only season in college, LSU began the season with high expectations, but they failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament. Simmons left school to enter the NBA draft, becoming the third Melbourne-born number one overall pick in 11 years, alongside Andrew Bogut and Kyrie Irving. Simmons is the son of an American-born father, Dave, who played professional basketball in Australia. A
dual citizen Multiple citizenship (or multiple nationality) is a person's legal status in which a person is at the same time recognized by more than one sovereign state, country under its nationality law, nationality and citizenship law as a national or cit ...
of Australia and the United States, Simmons has played for the Australian national team.


Early life

Simmons was born in the
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
suburb of Fitzroy to father Dave and mother Julie. His father is an African-American expatriate who became a naturalised citizen of Australia, and his mother is a white Australian. He was raised alongside five siblings—Melissa, Emily,
Liam Liam is a short form of the Germanic name William, or its Irish variant Uilliam. Etymology The original name was a merging of two Old German elements: ''willa'' ("will" or "resolution"); and ''helma'' ("helmet"). The juxtaposition of these ...
, Sean, and Olivia—the first four being from his mother's previous marriage. His father played college basketball for the Oklahoma City Stars in the United States before turning professional with the
Melbourne Tigers Melbourne United is an Australian professional basketball team based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria. United compete in the National Basketball League (Australia), National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at Joh ...
in Australia's National Basketball League in 1989. Simmons was raised in
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
from the age of 18 months while his father played and coached in the city. Simmons began playing basketball at the age of seven in the Newcastle Hunters' under-12 representative team. He later played for Lake Macquarie and Newcastle. At age 10, Simmons returned to Melbourne and began playing junior basketball for the Knox Raiders. As a youngster, he also played rugby and
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...
. In
year 7 Year 7 is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand. It is the seventh full year (or eighth in Australia and England) of compulsory education and is roughly equivalent to grade 6 ...
, while attending Whitefriars College, Simmons was named MVP after he helped Whitefriars win the Year-7 Division 1A basketball premiership. As a teenager, Simmons was torn between his two loves of basketball and Australian rules football, but he eventually decided to focus on basketball. In
year 9 Year 9 is an educational year group in schools in many countries including England and Wales, Australia and New Zealand. It is the tenth or eleventh year of compulsory education. Children in this year are generally between 13, 14 and 15, with it ...
, at the age of 15, Simmons played basketball for Box Hill Senior Secondary College at the 2011 Australian Schools Championships before taking up a scholarship at the
Australian Institute of Sport The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) is a high performance sports training institution in Australia. The institute's headquarters were opened in 1981 and are situated in the northern suburb of Bruce, Canberra. The AIS is a division of the ...
in 2012. Later that year, Simmons made his first appearance in the United States at the renowned Pangos All-American Camp for basketball prospects. Despite being only 15 years old, he was chosen to represent
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
at the
2012 FIBA Under-17 World Championship The 2012 FIBA Under-17 World Championship (Lithuanian: 2012 m. FIBA iki 17 metų pasaulio čempionatas) was the 2nd edition of the FIBA Under-17 World Championship, the biennial international men's youth basketball championship contested by the ...
.


High school career


Sophomore year

In January 2013, Simmons moved to the U.S. to compete against boys of comparable size and athleticism. He attended Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. In April 2013, he helped Montverde rally from a 16-point deficit to beat New Jersey's St Benedict's 67–65 in the final of the High School National Tournament. After competing in the Jordan Brand Classic International Game, he returned to Melbourne, where he joined the Bulleen Boomers of the
Big V The Big V is a semi-professional basketball league in Victoria, Australia, comprising both a men's and women's competition. History The Big V Conference was established in 2000 and joined the Australian Basketball Association (ABA). The ABA ...
competition in June 2013. On 14 October 2013, Simmons committed to
Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
, picking LSU over other offers from
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
,
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
, and
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
.


Junior year

Simmons returned to Montverde Academy for his junior season in 2013–14. On the season, Simmons averaged 18.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 69 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line. He recorded 88 blocks as well. Montverde finished the season with a 28–0 record, closing with a 71–62 victory over Oak Hill Academy in the High School National Tournament at
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as the Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh and Eighth Avenue (Manhattan), Eig ...
. Simmons had 24 points and 12 rebounds as he earned MVP honours. Following the season, he was named America's top high school junior and was voted MVP at the National Basketball Players' Association Top 100 camp.


Senior year

On 12 November 2014, Simmons signed a
National Letter of Intent The National Letter of Intent (NLI) is a document used to indicate a student athlete's commitment to participating in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) colleges and universities in the United States. The NCAA Eligibility Center manag ...
to play
college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...
for LSU. On 28 January 2015, Simmons was named as a starter for the East team to compete in the 38th annual
McDonald's All-American Game The McDonald's All-American Game is an American all-star basketball game played each year for boys' and girls' high school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the conclusion of the hi ...
. On 10 March 2015, he was named the Morgan Wootten Award winner, given annually to the best male McDonald's All-American player who exemplifies outstanding character, exhibits leadership, and embodies the values of being a student-athlete in the classroom and in the community. He was then named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year on 12 March and the Gatorade National Player of the Year on 24 March after leading the Eagles to a 28–1 record and a berth in the High School National Tournament for the third straight year. In 29 regular season games, he averaged 28.0 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 2.6 steals per game while shooting 70.7 percent from the field and recording 24 double-doubles. After competing in the 2015 McDonald's All-American Game on 1 April, Simmons led Montverde Academy to a third consecutive High School National Tournament title with a 70–61 win over Oak Hill Academy on 4 April at Madison Square Garden. He again earned MVP honours after recording 58 points and 35 rebounds over the three-day tournament. He then competed in the 2015
Nike Hoop Summit The Nike Hoop Summit is an international basketball all-star game sponsored by Nike, Inc., Nike, held once a year, which features the USA Basketball Men's Junior Select Team against a World Select Team of international players. The players demons ...
for the World Team on 11 April and scored 13 points in a 103–101 win over Team USA. Considered a five-star recruit by ESPN.com, Simmons was listed as the No. 1 power forward and the No. 1 player in the nation in 2015.


College career

Entering his freshman year of college, Simmons began his career on a four-stop national tour in Australia with the LSU Tigers. The Tigers completed their five-game Australian tour with a 3–2 record, and over the five games, Simmons averaged 20 points and nine rebounds per game to lead the team in all major statistical categories. Upon returning to the United States, Simmons was featured on the Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook 35th-anniversary cover, was named the SEC's Preseason Player of the Year, and earned Associated Press preseason All-America team honours. His Preseason Player of the Year honour made him just the second freshman to earn the award, joining Kentucky's
Julius Randle Julius Deion Randle (born November 29, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A three-time NBA All-Star and a two-time member of the All-NBA Team, he was a ...
in 2013, and his All-America team honour made him just the fourth freshman to be honoured on the preseason team. On 13 November 2015, Simmons made his college debut in LSU's season opener, recording a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds as a starter in a win over McNeese State. On 2 December, he helped LSU break a three-game losing streak by recording 43 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals, and 3 blocks in a 119–108 win over
North Florida North Florida is a Regions of the United States#Florida, region of the U.S. state of Florida comprising the northernmost part of the state. Along with South Florida and Central Florida, it is one of Florida's three most common "directional" regi ...
. His 43 points were the most for a Tigers player since
Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...
had 43 against
Northern Arizona Northern Arizona is an unofficial, colloquially defined region of the U.S. state of Arizona. Generally consisting of Apache, Coconino, Mohave, Navajo, and Yavapai counties, the region is geographically dominated by the Colorado Plateau, the ...
on 28 December 1991. After recording 14 points and 10 rebounds in a win over
Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...
on 5 January 2016, Simmons was dubbed the best all-round player since
LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...
by NBA Hall of Famer
Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson List of NBA players who have spent their entire career w ...
. Nine days later, Simmons came off the bench for the first time after being removed from LSU's starting line-up for their game against
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
due to academic reasons. Following the conclusion of the regular season, Simmons was named first-team All-
Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...
and the league's Freshman of the Year on the 2016 Coaches SEC voting. He was also named to the eight-player All-SEC Freshman team. After ranking No. 21 in the preseason AP Top 25 vote, LSU finished the regular season with an 18–13 record, including 11–7 in SEC play. As the fourth seed in the 2016 SEC tournament, LSU defeated Tennessee in the quarterfinals, but were defeated by
Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...
in a demoralizing 71–38 semifinal loss, failing to receive an NCAA tournament berth. Simmons led the team in all major statistical categories except three-point shooting and free throw shooting, finishing with averages of 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 34.9 minutes per game. Following the announcement of the NCAA tournament field, with LSU failing to earn a bid, Tigers head coach Johnny Jones announced that the team would not play in any postseason tournament. On 21 March 2016, Simmons declared for the 2016 NBA draft, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility. He withdrew from school at the conclusion of the season with plans to move immediately to
Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...
in advance of the NBA draft. He also signed with American sports agency Klutch Sports, which is primarily owned by Rich Paul.


Professional career


Philadelphia 76ers (2016–2022)


2016–17 season: Draft year injury

In the week leading up to the 2016 NBA draft, Simmons' attitude and character were questioned by a number of NBA media analysts.
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...
head coach Brett Brown, former Australian national team coach and a friend of the Simmons family, repudiated the claims being made and was content with Simmons' pre-draft behavior. On 23 June, he was selected by Brown and the 76ers with the number one overall pick in the 2016 draft, becoming the third Melbourne-born number one overall pick in 11 years ( Andrew Bogut in
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
and Kyrie Irving in
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
). He was also the first college player in the modern era to be selected with the first overall pick despite never playing in the NCAA tournament. On 3 July 2016, Simmons signed his rookie scale contract with the 76ers and joined the team for the 2016 NBA Summer League. While he shot the ball poorly during his first three Summer League games, Simmons was praised for his court awareness and passing ability for a big man. He went on to be named in the All-Las Vegas Summer League First Team, and in six Summer League games, he averaged 10.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. On 30 September 2016, Simmons rolled his right ankle during the 76ers' final training camp scrimmage. After receiving an X-ray and MRI of the foot and ankle, it was determined that Simmons had fractured the fifth metatarsal bone of his right foot and was estimated to miss three to four months. On 24 February 2017, he was ruled out for the entire 2016–17 NBA season after tests revealed that his broken right foot had not fully healed.


2017–18 season: Rookie of the Year

Some pundits doubted his strength, fitness, and scoring prowess after a full season on the sidelines, with only an outside chance for Rookie of the Year. In his NBA debut on 18 October 2017, Simmons had 18 points and 10 rebounds in a 120–115 season-opening loss to the
Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team plays i ...
. In his third game, on 21 October, Simmons recorded 18 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists in a 128–94 loss to the
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...
, joining
Oscar Robertson Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson played ...
as the only players ever to post 10-plus points, 10-plus rebounds, and 5-plus assists in their first three NBA games. In his fourth game, on 23 October, Simmons recorded his first career triple-double with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 97–86 win over the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
, becoming the third rookie after Robertson (1960) and Art Williams (1967) to record a triple-double in his first four games. He went on to become the only player in NBA history to begin a season with at least 170 points, 100 rebounds, and 80 assists in his team's first 10 games. On 29 November, he had 31 points and a career-high 18 rebounds in a 118–113 win over the Wizards. On 22 February, he scored a career-high 32 points, making two free throws with 5.6 seconds left to complete Philadelphia's rally from five points down in the final minute as the 76ers beat the
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...
116–115. On 15 March against the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
, Simmons recorded his second consecutive triple-double and joined Robertson and
Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson List of NBA players who have spent their entire career w ...
as the third rookie in NBA history to reach 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 500 assists. His triple-double against the Knicks was his eighth of the season, thus entering second place for most triple-doubles in a rookie season, trailing only Robertson (26). On 19 March against the
Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. The team ...
, Simmons recorded 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 15 assists, and he became the third rookie to have 0 turnovers in a triple-double game. On 24 March, he recorded his 10th triple-double of the season with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 assists in a 120–108 win over the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
. On 26 March, he had 11 assists in a 123–104 win over the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
, topping
Allen Iverson Allen Ezail Iverson ( ; born June 7, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. Nicknamed "The Answer", he played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as both a shooting guard and point guard. As an NBA rook ...
(567) to set the team rookie record for assists. On 6 April, he had 27 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists in a 132–130 win over the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...
, leading the 76ers to their 13th straight win. He was subsequently named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday 2 April to Sunday 8 April. In the 76ers' penultimate game of the regular season on 10 April, the 76ers set a franchise record with their 15th consecutive victory following a 121–113 win over the
Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...
, with Simmons recording 13 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. The 76ers finished the regular season with a 16th straight win to earn the Eastern Conference's No. 3 seed in the playoffs. Their record of 52–30 set the best team mark since 2001, when they went 56–26. At the conclusion of the regular season, Simmons was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in March and April, earning the award for the third consecutive month and the fourth time overall. In his
NBA playoff The NBA playoffs is the annual postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association (NBA) held to determine the league champion. Since 1949, the four-round, best-of-seven tournament is held after the league's regular season and its pr ...
debut in game 1 of the 76ers' first-round playoff series against the
Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...
, Simmons had 17 points, 14 assists, and nine rebounds in a 130–103 win. In game 4, Simmons helped the 76ers take a 3–1 lead in the series with 17 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 106–102 win. He became the first rookie since Magic Johnson in 1980 to have a playoff triple-double, and became the fifth rookie with a triple-double in the playoffs, joining Johnson,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( ; born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. , April 16, 1947) is an American former basketball player. He played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Associatio ...
,
Jerry Lucas Jerry Ray Lucas (born March 30, 1940) is an American former basketball player. He was a nationally awarded high school player, national college star at Ohio State University, and 1960 Olympic medal, gold medal Olympian and international player be ...
and Tom Gola. Simmons helped the 76ers move on to the second round of the playoffs with a 4–1 defeat of the Heat, as he recorded 14 points and 10 rebounds in a 104–91 win in game 5. The 76ers went on to lose in five games to the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
in the second round, with Simmons recording 18 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in a 114–112 loss in game 5. At the season's end, Simmons was named the
NBA Rookie of the Year The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottlieb T ...
and earned
NBA All-Rookie First Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for play ...
honours.


2018–19 season: First All-Star selection

In September 2018, Simmons announced that during the off-season he began working to improve his shooting with his brother Liam Tribe-Simmons, former assistant coach for University of California, Riverside Highlanders men's basketball team and Southwest Baptist Bearcats men's basketball team, and would continue to do so for the remainder of the season. In the 76ers' season opener on 16 October 2018, Simmons recorded 19 points, 15 rebounds, and eight assists in a 105–87 loss to the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
. Two days later, he had a triple-double with 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 127–108 win over the
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...
. He reached his 13th career triple-double with 2:34 left in the third and became the first Sixer to ever get one in a home opener. On 2 January, he scored 29 points in a 132–127 win over the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...
. On 5 January, he recorded his sixth triple-double of the season with 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 106–100 win over the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Divisi ...
. On 11 January, he had 23 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 123–121 loss to the
Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...
. Two days later, he had 20 points, 22 rebounds, and nine assists in a 108–105 win over the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the Na ...
. On 15 January, with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 9 assists against the
Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves (often referred to as the Wolves or T-wolves) are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Divisio ...
, Simmons became the second fastest player in NBA history to reach 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 1,000 assists, trailing only
Oscar Robertson Oscar Palmer Robertson (born November 24, 1938), nicknamed "the Big O", is an American former professional basketball player who played for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Robertson played ...
. Simmons reached this milestone in 125 games, which is 9 games faster than
Magic Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson List of NBA players who have spent their entire career w ...
and 33 games faster than
LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...
. On 23 January, he had 21 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds in a 122–120 win over the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. On 31 January, he received his first All-Star selection as an Eastern Conference reserve, becoming the first Australian to receive the honour. On 28 February, he recorded his ninth triple-double of the season with 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 108–104 win over the
Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Confer ...
. Two days later, he had 25 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 120–117 loss to the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. Founded in 1946 i ...
. In game two of the 76ers' first-round playoff series against the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
, Simmons had his second career postseason triple-double with 18 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds to lead Philadelphia to a 145–123 win. In game three of the series, Simmons scored a postseason career-high 31 points on 11-of-13 shooting in a 131–115 win over the Nets, putting the 76ers up 2–1 in the series.


2019–20 season: First All-NBA and All-Defensive selections

On 15 July 2019, the 76ers and Simmons agreed to a $170 million, five-year contract extension. On 23 October 2019, in the
2019–20 NBA season The 2019–20 NBA season was the 74th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 22, 2019, and originally was supposed to end on April 15, 2020. The 2020 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 16, ...
opener against divisional rivals the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
, Simmons scored 24 points on 68 percent shooting and recorded nine assists and eight rebounds in a 107–93 win. On 22 November, Simmons recorded his first triple-double of the season and his 24th of his career after recording 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists in a 115–104 win over the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. On 7 December, Simmons scored a career-high 34 points, while making 12 out of 14 shots, in a 141–94 win over the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers, often referred to as the Cavs, are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Divis ...
, which included his second NBA career three-pointer. On 23 December, Simmons recorded yet another triple-double, this time completing the feat while recording a career high 17 assists, in a win over the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
. On 20 January 2020, Simmons scored 34 points and recorded 12 assists and 12 rebounds in a 117–111 win over the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
. On 30 January, it was announced Simmons had been awarded with his second
All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...
appearance. Simmons was drafted by Team LeBron and went on to score 17 points, 5 assists, and 6 rebounds in a Team LeBron win. In a 22 February game against the
Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
, Simmons left the game in the first quarter with an apparent lower back injury. It was revealed Simmons had a nerve impingement in his lower back; the team listed him as "out for an extended period of time". Simmons was sidelined until the NBA returned after pausing play due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. Simmons returned to play on 1 August 2020 during the NBA Bubble where he scored 19 points along with 13 rebounds and 4 assists in a loss to the
Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
. Simmons sat out the playoffs due to a knee injury, and the 76ers were eliminated 4–0 by the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
. At the end of the season, Simmons was the 2020 NBA steals leader, and was named to the All-NBA Third Team and the
NBA All-Defensive First team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in tw ...
.


2020–21 season: Playoff disappointment

On 15 February 2021, Simmons recorded a double-double with a career-high 42 points and 12 assists in a 134–123 loss to the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
. He finished the season averaging 14.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game. During the playoffs, Simmons struggled at the free-throw line and became the worst free-throw shooter in postseason history with at least 67 attempts (34.2 percent), surpassing both
Wilt Chamberlain Wilton Norman Chamberlain ( ; August21, 1936 – October12, 1999) was an American professional basketball player. Standing tall, he played Center (basketball), center in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 14 seasons. He was enshrin ...
(38 percent) and
Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), commonly known as Shaq ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program ''Inside the NBA''. He is a and Center (basketball), center ...
(37.4 percent). Following a Game 7 loss in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the
Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Easte ...
, Simmons came under heavy scrutiny due to his inability to shoot and lack of aggressiveness on offense. Simmons did not attempt a single shot in the final quarter in five out of the seven games, which many attributed to his lack of confidence in shooting free throws. He averaged 9.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game and shot 60 percent from the field and 33 percent (15-for-45) from the free throw line against the Hawks.


2021–22 season: 76ers holdout

After the 76ers' Game 7 loss in the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals,
Joel Embiid Joel Hans Embiid ( ; born 16 March 1994) is a Cameroonian and American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After one year of college basketball with the Kansas Jayhawks men's ...
cited Simmons' decision to pass up an open dunk as the turning point in the game. A reporter asked 76ers coach
Doc Rivers Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers (born October 13, 1961) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). An NBA player for 14 seasons, he was an NB ...
if Simmons could be a point guard on a championship team, to which Rivers responded: "I don't even know how to answer that right now." In response to this and other factors, Simmons, despite having four years left on his contract, decided in August 2021 that he no longer wanted to be a member of the team. He declared his intentions to be traded, and noted that he was willing to miss training camp to enforce his trade demand. Simmons and company had also indicated that his play did not mesh effectively with that of Embiid and that their time as teammates had run its course. Embiid's public comments in response included calling Simmons' holdout and trade demands "borderline ... disrespectful" to the team, and that team management had built rosters around Simmons. Simmons, as he had indicated, missed training camp. He also did not play in the preseason and even placed his Philadelphia home on the market for $3.1 million. His absence led to the 76ers organisation reportedly withholding and putting in escrow $8.25 million that would have otherwise been owed to him on October 1, signifying over a quarter of the $31.59 million owed to him for the 2021–22 season. Simmons returned to the team on 11 October 2021. On 19 October, Simmons was thrown out of practice by Rivers due to declining several times to substitute into a drill and was suspended by the 76ers for one game, the team's season-opener against the
New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...
, due to conduct detrimental to the team. Simmons had previously been fined $1.4 million due to his absence from four preseason games, missed practices, on-court workouts, and meetings. After Simmons told the 76ers his absence was due to a mental health issue, team officials stopped fining him, but later resumed the fines after he continued to refuse to cooperate with them. Due to the repeated fines for missed games, Simmons became the most-fined player in NBA history, with reports suggesting he had surpassed $10 million by the end of 2021. In January 2022, the 76ers reportedly had limited their fining of Simmons in response to him attending team meetings and counseling sessions, but continued to dock him for missed games. Simmons subsequently filed a grievance to recoup nearly $20 million in salary withheld from him by the 76ers, and the two sides settled in August 2022 for an undisclosed amount.


Brooklyn Nets (2022–2025)

On 10 February 2022, Simmons was traded, along with Andre Drummond, Seth Curry, and two future first-round picks, to the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), ...
in exchange for
James Harden James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is regarded by some as one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA hist ...
and Paul Millsap. On 21 March, Simmons was diagnosed with a herniated disk in his back. On 4 April, Nets head coach
Steve Nash Stephen John Nash (born 7 February 1974) is a Canadian professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 18 seasons in the NBA, ...
ruled out Simmons for the remainder of the regular season and the play-in tournament. On 21 April, Simmons reportedly planned to make his season debut in Game 4 against the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
during the first round of the playoffs. On 24 April, with the Nets facing a sweep to the Celtics, the Nets announced that he would not play in Game 4 due to back soreness. The Nets lost the game, eliminating them from the playoffs. On 5 May, he underwent back surgery. Simmons made his Nets debut on 19 October 2022, putting up four points, five rebounds, and five assists before fouling out in a 130–108 loss to the
New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Confere ...
. On 17 November, he recorded a season-high 13 rebounds, alongside fifteen points, and seven assists, in a 109–107 win over the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
. Three days later, Simmons scored a season-high 22 points, alongside eight rebounds and five assists, in a 127–115 win over the
Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division of the ...
. On 12 January 2023, he dished out a season-high 13 assists, alongside nine rebounds and two steals, in a 109–98 loss to the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), ...
. On 17 January, Simmons recorded his first triple-double as a Net, logging ten points, ten rebounds and eleven assists in a 106–98 loss to the
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southwest Division (NBA), Southwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
. In February 2023, Simmons had his knee drained and received a PRP injection for his ongoing left knee soreness, which he had dealt with during the season. On 5 March, Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn revealed that Simmons had an MRI that found
inflammation Inflammation (from ) is part of the biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. The five cardinal signs are heat, pain, redness, swelling, and loss of function (Latin ''calor'', '' ...
in his back. On 16 March, Vaughn stated that Simmons had progressed to doing on-court work. On 24 March, the Nets announced that Simmons had been diagnosed with a nerve impingement in his back and would be out indefinitely. The next day, Vaughn stated that Simmons would most likely not play for the rest of the season. On 28 March, Vaughn confirmed that the Nets would be shutting down Simmons for the remainder of the season due to a nerve issue in his back. During the 2022–23 season, Simmons posted career lows in minutes per game (26.3), points per game (6.9), rebounds per game (6.3), assists per game (6.1), and free throw percentage (43.9). ESPN described Simmons's performance as "a steep decline from his days as an All-Star". After missing the first 38 games of the
2023–24 NBA season The 2023–24 NBA season was the 78th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 24, 2023, and ended on April 14, 2024. The NBA held their first-ever in-season tournament from November 3 to December ...
, Simmons made his season debut on 29 January 2024. In the game, he recorded 10 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds as the Nets defeated the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
147–114. Simmons played in only 15 games for the Nets, averaging 6.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. On 7 March, the Nets announced that Simmons would miss the remainder of the season due to a nerve impingement in his lower back. On 15 March, he underwent a microscopic partial
discectomy A discectomy (also called open discectomy, if done through a 1/2 inch or larger skin opening) is the surgical removal of abnormal disc material that presses on a nerve root or the spinal cord. The procedure involves removing a portion of an int ...
to alleviate the issue. Simmons' contract was bought out by the Nets on February 8, 2025.


Los Angeles Clippers (2025–present)

On February 10, 2025, Simmons signed a one year contract with the Los Angeles Clippers for $1.08 million. On February 13, Simmons made his Clippers debut, putting up 12 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals, and one block in a 120–116 overtime win over the
Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference. Since the 1991–92 season, the ...
.


National team career


Junior national team

Simmons represented Australia at the
2012 FIBA Under-17 World Championship The 2012 FIBA Under-17 World Championship (Lithuanian: 2012 m. FIBA iki 17 metų pasaulio čempionatas) was the 2nd edition of the FIBA Under-17 World Championship, the biennial international men's youth basketball championship contested by the ...
at age 15, helping the team win a silver medal. Simmons' tournament highlights included a 26-point, 10-rebound, 5-steal outing against the Czech Republic.


Senior national team

Simmons made his senior debut for Australia in the
2013 FIBA Oceania Championship The 2013 FIBA Oceania Championship for Men was the 21st edition of the FIBA Oceania Championship. The tournament featured a two-game series between Australia men's national basketball team, Australia and New Zealand national basketball team, New Z ...
against
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
. He scored four total points in the two-game series and was a part of the gold medal-winning Australian team. In July 2014, Simmons was added to the Boomers extended squad for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, but did not make the final 12-man roster. Since 2013, Simmons has verbally stated that he would play for Australia on multiple occasions (including the FIBA World Cup and the Olympics), but has always withdrawn from the team before competition. In August 2015, Simmons signaled his intentions to represent Australia at the
2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...
and said he was aiming to win a medal. In April 2016, Simmons withdrew from the team in order to prepare for his rookie season in the NBA. On 15 May 2019, Simmons confirmed he would represent Australia in the 2019 FIBA World Cup and multiple exhibition games against
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
and the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. In July 2019, Simmons announced that he would not play for the Australian national team in 2019, citing "professional obligations". In October 2017, Simmons made clear his intentions to represent Australia at the
2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...
in Tokyo; however, he withdrew from the Australia Olympic squad in June 2021, stating that he was focusing improving his shooting skills for the
2021–22 NBA season The 2021–22 NBA season was the 76th season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 19, 2021, and ended on April 10, 2022. For the first time since the 2018–19 season, the NBA returned to its usual O ...
. Simmons was not included in Australia's preliminary team selection pool for the 2023 FIBA World Cup but was given an open invitation to attend selection camp by head coach
Brian Goorjian Brian Warwick Goorjian (born 28 July 1953) is an American-Australian professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League (NBL). In an NBL coaching career spanning over 20 y ...
; he ultimately ruled himself out to focus on rehabilitation from an ongoing back injury. In August 2023, Simmons declared his intent to join the Australian team for the
2024 Summer Olympics The 2024 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad () and branded as Paris 2024, were an international multi-sport event held in France from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with several events started from 24 July. P ...
; he was not included in the preliminary team selection pool announced in April 2024 due to back problems.


Career statistics


NBA


Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, 81 , , 81 , , 33.7 , , .545 , , .000 , , .560 , , 8.1 , , 8.2 , , 1.7 , , .9 , , 15.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, 79 , , 79 , , 34.2 , , .563 , , .000 , , .600 , , 8.8 , , 7.7 , , 1.4 , , .8 , , 16.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, 57 , , 57 , , 35.4 , , .580 , , .286 , , .621 , , 7.8 , , 8.0 , , style="background:#cfecec;", 2.1* , , .6 , , 16.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, 58 , , 58 , , 32.4 , , .557 , , .300 , , .613 , , 7.2 , , 6.9 , , 1.6 , , .6 , , 14.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, 42 , , 33 , , 26.3 , , .566 , , .000 , , .439 , , 6.3 , , 6.1 , , 1.3 , , .6 , , 6.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, 15 , , 12 , , 23.9 , , .581 , , , , .400 , , 7.9 , , 5.7 , , .8 , , .6 , , 6.1 , - , style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, , style="text-align:left;",
Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
, 33 , , 24 , , 25.0 , , .547 , , , , .692 , , 5.2 , , 6.9 , , .8 , , .5 , , 6.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 17 , , 0 , , 16.4 , , .434 , , , , .857 , , 3.8 , , 3.1 , , .7 , , .4 , , 2.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 383 , , 344 , , 31.1 , , .558 , , .139 , , .592 , , 7.4 , , 7.2 , , 1.5 , , .7 , , 13.1 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 2 , , 0 , , 23.0 , , .923 , , , , .500 , , 6.0 , , 6.0 , , 1.5 , , .5 , , 13.5


Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, 10 , , 10 , , 36.9 , , .488 , , .000 , , .707 , , 9.4 , , 7.7 , , 1.7 , , .8 , , 16.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, 12 , , 12 , , 35.1 , , .621 , , , , .575 , , 7.1 , , 6.0 , , 1.3 , , 1.0 , , 13.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, 12 , , 12 , , 33.5 , , .621 , , .000 , , .342 , , 7.9 , , 8.8 , , 1.3 , , .8 , , 11.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",
2025 So far, the year has seen the continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudanese civil war, and the Gaza war. Internal crises in Bangladesh post-resignation v ...
, style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 5 , , 0 , , 8.4 , , .333 , , , , , , 1.4 , , .8 , , .2 , , .8 , , .8 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 39 , , 34 , , 31.6 , , .567 , , .000 , , .520 , , 7.2 , , 6.6 , , 1.2 , , .9 , , 12.2


College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 , style="text-align:left;",
LSU Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
, 33 , , 32 , , 34.9 , , .560 , , .333 , , .670 , , 11.8 , , 4.8 , , 2.0 , , .8 , , 19.2


Personal life

In the summer of 2018, Simmons' brother
Liam Liam is a short form of the Germanic name William, or its Irish variant Uilliam. Etymology The original name was a merging of two Old German elements: ''willa'' ("will" or "resolution"); and ''helma'' ("helmet"). The juxtaposition of these ...
resigned his position as assistant coach at the
University of California, Riverside The University of California, Riverside (UCR or UC Riverside) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Riverside, California, United States. It is one of the ten campuses of the University of Cali ...
, to work with Simmons on improving his shooting game. The decision to hire his brother as his shooting coach was not without controversy or criticism. His sister Emily, a former member of the
Washington State University Washington State University (WSU, or colloquially Wazzu) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Pullman, Washington, United States. Founded in 1890, WSU is also one of the oldest Land-grant uni ...
women's rowing team, who has worked for Klutch Sports since 2014, is married to former NFL player Michael Bush. His godfather, David Patrick, was an assistant coach at LSU and was a part of his sole season there and is currently the head coach at Sacramento State. A cousin of Simmons, who had attended the 2016 NBA draft, was killed in a hit-and-run on 25 June 2016 in New Jersey. In November 2016, Simmons was featured in the Showtime
documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
'' One & Done'', providing an insight into his time as a one-and-done college player, as well as exploring his and his family's thoughts on the NCAA and the NBA's "one and done" rule. On 7 June 2016, Simmons signed an endorsement deal with Nike. Simmons is a supporter of the
Essendon Football Club The Essendon Football Club, nicknamed the Bombers or colloquially the Dons, is a professional Australian rules football club that plays in the Australian Football League (AFL), the game's premier competition. The club was formed by the McCrac ...
, an
Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an Australian rules football playing field, oval field, often a modified ...
team in the
Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the pre-eminent professional sports, professional competition of Australian rules football. It was originally named the Victorian Football League (VFL) and was founded in 1896 as a breakaway competition ...
, and the
Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league team based in Newcastle, New South Wales that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, the Knights joined the top-tier competition in New ...
of the
National Rugby League The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...
. On 3 October 2020, Simmons announced his endorsement for
Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
and
Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...
for the
2020 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 3, 2020. The Democratic Party (United States), Democratic ticket of former vice president Joe Biden and California junior senator Kamala H ...
. Over the 2021 Christmas holiday, Simmons reportedly became engaged to British television personality
Maya Jama Maya Indea Jama ( ; born 14 August 1994) is a British television presenter and radio DJ. She co-presented BBC One's '' Peter Crouch: Save Our Summer'' alongside Peter Crouch and Alex Horne and was the presenter of the BBC Three competition '' ...
. In August 2022, the couple reportedly ended their engagement.


See also

*
List of NBA players born outside the United States In the National Basketball Association, players born outside of the United States are often known as international players. Players who were born in territories of the United States, U.S. overseas territories, such as Puerto Rico and the United S ...
* List of NBA career field goal percentage leaders * List of NBA career triple-double leaders * List of NBA career playoff triple-double leaders


References


External links

*
LSU Tigers bio

gatorade.com profile

Who is Ben Simmons? – ESPN
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simmons, Ben 1996 births Living people 21st-century American sportsmen 21st-century Australian sportsmen All-American college men's basketball players American men's basketball players Australian expatriate basketball people in the United States Australian Institute of Sport basketball players Australian men's basketball players Australian people of African-American descent Basketball players from Melbourne Basketball players from Newcastle, New South Wales Brooklyn Nets players FaZe Clan players First overall NBA draft picks Los Angeles Clippers players LSU Tigers men's basketball players McDonald's High School All-Americans Montverde Academy alumni NBA All-Stars NBA players from Australia Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) People educated at Whitefriars College People from the City of Manningham Philadelphia 76ers draft picks Philadelphia 76ers players Point guards Power forwards Sportsmen from Victoria (state)