Ben Simmons
| Full Name: | Ben Simmons |
| Place of Birth: | Melbourne, Australia |
| Shoe Size: | 14 |
| Education: | LSU |
| Parents: | Dave Simmons, Julie Simmons |
Ben Simmons Biography Details, Age, Net Worth, & Basketball Career
Ben Simmons is an Australian pro basketball player who currently plays for the Philadelphia 76ers. He is considered one of the most unique and multi-dimensional players in the NBA. While he has the size of a big man, Simmons possesses the skill set of a guard and primarily players point guard for the 76ers. However, he is also famous for lacking a consistent jump shot, particularly from beyond the three-point line.
Simmons was born July 20, 1996, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He grew up in Australia until coming to the United States as a high school sophomore to attend Montverde Academy in Florida. Simmons played one year of college basketball at LSU before turning pro and being the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. A broken foot cost him his entire rookie season, although Simmons came back strong the following year and won Rookie of the Year in 2018. Simmons then made the All-Star Team in 2019 and 2020, solidifying himself as one of the best rising stars in the NBA.
Ben Simmons Basketball Career
For his sophomore year of high school, Simmons moved to the United States to face a higher level of competition. He enrolled at Montverde Academy in Florida. As a junior, he averaged 18.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while leading Montverde to a 28-0 record.
During his senior season, Simmons averaged 28.0 points, 11.9 rebounds, four assists and 2.6 steals per game and received most national player of the year awards, including Naismith Prep Player of the Year and Gatorade Player of the Year.
Despite being the No. 1 player in the country, Simmons chose LSU over more traditional basketball powers, largely because his Godfather David Patrick was an assistant coach at LSU. He lived up to the hype at LSU, averaging 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game while earning SEC Freshman of the Year and First-Team All-SEC honors. However, the Tigers were just 19-14 and failed to receive an invitation to the NCAA Tournament. The team later decided to not play in any postseason tournament. Simmons soon announced that he would forego his three remaining years of eligibility and turn pro.
NBA Career Amid questions from critics about his work ethic and character, the Philadelphia 76ers made Simmons the first pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. However, toward the end of training camp, Simmons broke a bone in his foot. He had hoped to only miss the first few months of the season, but when it was determined in February that the injury had yet to fully heal, Simmons was ruled out for the entire season.
While critics soured on Simmons after the injury forced him to sit out a full season, he hit the ground running during the 2017-18 season. He started 81 games for the 76ers, averaging 15.8 points, 8.2 assists, and 8.1 rebounds. Simmons led the 76ers to their best record since 2001 and became the fifth rookie to ever record a triple-double in the playoffs. He ultimately won Rookie of the Year Honors and was an All-Rookie First Team selection.
Simmons was just as good during the 2018-19 season. He averaged 16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game, making the All-Star Team for the first time and once again leading Philadelphia to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. After the season, he signed a five-year, $170 million extension with the 76ers. Simmons made the All-Star Team again in 2020.
At the time the 2019-20 season was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, Simmons was averaging 16.7 points, 8.2 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game.
Ben Simmons Net Worth, Salary, Endorsements & Career Earnings
Ahead of the 2019-20 season, Ben Simmons had made $18.5 million in salary during his NBA career. However, that number will increase substantially when his five-year, $170 million extension kicks in starting with the 2020-21 season. His salary for that season will be $29 million and will continue to increase over those five seasons. Simmons has also signed a five-year deal with Nike worth $20 million.
Ben Simmons signed a four-year, $26.6 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016.
Ben Simmons signed a five-year, $170 million deal with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019.
Ben Simmons Personal Life
Simmons was born in Melbourne, Australia, where he lived for the first 18 months of his life before moving to Newcastle, Australia. His mother Julie is a native Australian while his father David is an African-American who was born in the Bronx. His father played college basketball at Oklahoma City College before having a pro career in Australia’s National Basketball League.
Simmons grew up as one of six children, including his sister Olivia Simmons and four-half siblings, Liam, Sean, Emily, and Melissa. His brother Liam was an assistant basketball coach at UC Riverside until leaving to become Simmons’ shooting coach.
Since entering the public eye, Simmons has had high-profile relationships with Kendall Jenner and Tinashe. However, he’s not currently married.
Awards & Achievements
Ben Simmons Fun Facts
- Growing up in Australia, Ben Simmons also played rugby and Australian rules football.
- In high school, Ben Simmons would stay up until 2 a.m. playing Call of Duty with Dante Exum, another Australian basketball player.
- According to his teammates, Ben Simmons is a big fan of opera.
- Ben Simmons has a pet bearded dragon that he named Mutombo after former NBA center Dikembe Mutombo.
- Growing up, Ben Simmons says his favorite NBA teams were the New York Knicks and Miami Heat.
- Ben Simmons says his favorite shoes are the LeBron Zoom Soldiers.
- Ben Simmons was featured in the documentary One and Done.
| Season | Team | G | MIN | FG% | 3P% | FT% | REB | AST | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2023-2024 |
15 | 23.9 | 58.1 | 0.0 | 40.0 | 7.9 | 5.7 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 6.1 | |
2022-2023 |
42 | 26.3 | 56.6 | 0.0 | 43.9 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 6.9 | |
2021-2022 |
0 | N/A | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
2020-2021 |
58 | 32.4 | 55.7 | 30.0 | 61.3 | 7.2 | 6.9 | 0.6 | 1.6 | 14.3 | |
2019-2020 |
57 | 35.4 | 58.0 | 28.6 | 62.1 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 16.4 | |
2018-2019 |
79 | 34.2 | 56.2 | 0.0 | 60.0 | 8.8 | 7.7 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 16.9 | |
2017-2018 |
81 | 33.7 | 54.5 | 0.0 | 56.0 | 8.1 | 8.2 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 15.8 | |
2016-2017 |
0 | N/A | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Date | Opp | RESULT | MIN | PTS | OR | DR | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2/26 |
W
111-86
|
14 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Sat 2/24 |
L
86-101
|
15 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | |
| Thu 2/22 |
L
93-121
|
21 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Tue 2/13 |
L
118-110
|
24 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Sat 2/10 |
W
103-123
|
21 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | |
| Thu 2/8 |
L
118-95
|
19 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| Tue 2/6 |
L
119-107
|
20 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| Sat 2/3 |
W
136-121
|
13 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Mon 1/29 |
W
114-147
|
18 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| Mon 11/6 |
L
129-125
|
33 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Fri 11/3 |
W
109-107
|
32 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 4 | |
| Wed 11/1 |
W
109-105
|
33 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| Mon 10/30 |
W
133-121
|
35 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| Fri 10/27 |
L
120-125
|
32 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Wed 10/25 |
L
114-113
|
22 | 4 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
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