Ben Simmons

• 1. Fitzroy Birth And Dual Sport Youth

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  Benjamin David Simmons arrived in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy on the 20th of July 1996. His mother Julie was a White Australian and his father Dave was an African American expatriate who later became a naturalized citizen. He grew up alongside five siblings, with Melissa, Emily, Liam, Sean, and Olivia being part of the family unit. The first four children came from Julie's previous marriage while Liam and Olivia were born to Ben and Dave.

  Dave played college basketball for the Oklahoma City Stars before joining the Melbourne Tigers in 1989. Ben began playing basketball at age seven within the Newcastle Hunters under-12 representative team. He later joined Lake Macquarie and Newcastle teams during his early years. At ten years old he returned to Melbourne to play junior basketball for the Knox Raiders.

  As a teenager Ben faced a difficult choice between basketball and Australian rules football. He eventually decided to focus solely on basketball after year nine. In that same year he played for Box Hill Senior Secondary College at the 2011 Australian Schools Championships. Later that year he took a scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport in 2012.

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• 2. Montverde Academy And LSU One Season

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  In January 2013 Simmons moved to Montverde Florida to attend Montverde Academy. He competed against boys of comparable size and athleticism throughout the United States. On the 14th of October 2013 he committed to Louisiana State University over offers from Kentucky Kansas and Duke. His decision marked a significant step toward professional basketball.

  Simmons returned to Montverde for his junior season in 2013, 14. He averaged 18.5 points 9.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game while shooting 69 percent from the field. The team finished with an undefeated 28, 0 record before losing to Oak Hill Academy in the High School National Tournament final. He recorded 24 points and 12 rebounds to earn MVP honours at Madison Square Garden.

  On the 12th of November 2014 Simmons signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball for LSU. He was named starter for the East team in the 38th annual McDonald's All-American Game on the 28th of January 2015. During his single freshman year at LSU he led the team in all major statistical categories except three-point shooting and free throw shooting. He finished with averages of 19.2 points 11.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 34.9 minutes per game.

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• 3. Draft Year Injury And Rookie Award

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  Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown selected Simmons with the number one overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft on the 23rd of June. He became the third Melbourne-born number one overall pick in eleven years alongside Andrew Bogut and Kyrie Irving. On the 3rd of July 2016 Simmons signed his rookie scale contract with the 76ers and joined the team for the 2016 NBA Summer League.

  On the 30th of September 2016 Simmons rolled his right ankle during training camp. Tests revealed he had fractured the fifth metatarsal bone of his right foot. He was estimated to miss three to four months but ultimately missed the entire 2016, 17 season after tests showed the bone had not fully healed by the 24th of February 2017.

  Simmons made his NBA debut on the 18th of October 2017 against the Washington Wizards. He recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds in a 120, 115 loss. In his fourth game on the 23rd of October he recorded his first career triple-double with 21 points 12 rebounds and 10 assists. He became 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 ten games. At the season's end he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year.

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• 4. All-Star Peak And Five Year Deal

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  In September 2018 Simmons announced he began working to improve his shooting with his brother Liam Tribe-Simmons. On the 31st of January 2019 he received his first All-Star selection as an Eastern Conference reserve. This made him the first Australian to receive the honour. Two days later he recorded his ninth triple-double of the season with 11 points 13 rebounds and 11 assists over Oklahoma City Thunder.

  On the 15th of July 2019 the 76ers and Simmons agreed to a $170 million five-year contract extension. The deal represented a massive financial commitment from the franchise. During the 2019, 20 season Simmons scored 34 points while making 12 out of 14 shots in a win over Cleveland Cavaliers on the 7th of December. He also recorded a career-high 17 assists in a win over Detroit Pistons on the 23rd of December.

  At the end of that season Simmons led the league in steals and was named to the All-NBA Third Team and the NBA All-Defensive First team. His performance included averaging 16.4 points 7.8 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game across 57 games.

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• 5. Playoff Free Throw Struggles And Scrutiny

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  During the 2021 playoffs Simmons struggled at the free throw line significantly. He became the worst free throw shooter in postseason history with at least 67 attempts finishing at 34.2 percent. This surpassed both Wilt Chamberlain who shot 38 percent and Shaquille O'Neal who shot 37.4 percent during their careers.

  Following a Game 7 loss in the Eastern Conference semifinals against Atlanta Hawks Simmons came under heavy scrutiny. He did not attempt a single shot in the final quarter in five out of seven games. Many attributed this lack of aggression to his confidence issues regarding shooting free throws. He averaged 9.9 points 6.3 rebounds and 8.6 assists while shooting 33 percent from the line against the Hawks.

  Joel Embiid cited Simmons decision to pass up an open dunk as the turning point in that Game 7 loss. Coach Doc Rivers stated he did not know how to answer questions about whether Simmons could be a point guard on a championship team. The situation created significant public debate around his ability to contribute in high pressure moments.

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• 6. Holdout Fines And Brooklyn Trade

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  Simmons decided in August 2021 that he no longer wanted to be a member of the Philadelphia 76ers despite having four years left on his contract. He declared intentions to be traded and noted willingness to miss training camp to enforce demands. His absence led the organization to withhold $8.25 million in escrow for the 2021, 22 season.

  On the 19th of October 2021 Simmons was thrown out of practice by Rivers due to declining several times to substitute into drills. He was suspended for one game and fined $1.4 million for missing preseason games and practices. Reports suggested he had surpassed $10 million in fines by the end of 2021 making him the most-fined player in NBA history.

  On the 10th of February 2022 Simmons was traded along with Andre Drummond Seth Curry and two future first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets. The trade brought James Harden and Paul Millsap to Philadelphia. This move marked a dramatic shift in his professional trajectory after years of conflict with the original franchise.

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• 7. Back Injuries And Contract Buyout

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  On the 21st of March 2022 Simmons was diagnosed with a herniated disk in his back during his time with the Nets. On the 5th of May he underwent back surgery which sidelined him for the remainder of that season. He made his Nets debut on the 19th of October 2022 but posted career lows across multiple categories including minutes per game at 26.3 and points per game at 6.9.

  During the 2022, 23 season Simmons had an MRI that found inflammation in his back. On the 28th of March head coach Jacque Vaughn confirmed the team would shut down Simmons for the rest of the season due to nerve issues. He played only 42 games over three seasons with Brooklyn while averaging 6.9 points and 6.1 assists.

  On the 8th of February 2025 Simmons was waived and the remainder of his contract was bought out by the Nets. Over those three seasons the Nets paid him $124 million for just 90 games played. He subsequently signed with the Los Angeles Clippers on the 10th of February 2025 before becoming a free agent again.

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