Allen Iverson

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Simmons grew up in Melbourne and Newcastle, playing basketball from age seven for the Newcastle Hunters' under-12 team. He later played for Lake Macquarie and Newcastle, and at age 10 returned to Melbourne to join the Knox Raiders. In year 7 at Whitefriars College, he helped win the Year-7 Division 1A basketball premiership and was named MVP. As a teenager, he was torn between basketball and Australian rules football but chose basketball. In year 9, he played for Box Hill Senior Secondary College at the 2011 Australian Schools Championships, then took a scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport in 2012. That year, he made his first U.S. appearance at the Pangos All-American Camp and was chosen to represent Australia at the 2012 FIBA Under-17 World Championship.

In Their Own Story

In January 2013, Simmons moved to the U.S. to attend Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida. In April 2013, he helped Montverde rally from a 16-point deficit to beat St Benedict's 67–65 in the High School National Tournament final. After competing in the Jordan Brand Classic International Game, he returned to Melbourne and joined the Bulleen Boomers of the Big V competition in June 2013. On 14 October 2013, he committed to LSU over Kentucky, Kansas, and Duke. In his junior season, he averaged 18.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, shooting 69 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line, with 88 blocks. Montverde finished 28–0, closing with a 71–62 win over Oak Hill Academy at Madison Square Garden, where Simmons had 24 points and 12 rebounds and earned MVP honors.

Reader's Guide

Simmons played one season at LSU, where he led the team in all major statistical categories except three-point and free throw shooting, averaging 19.2 points, 11.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 34.9 minutes per game. He recorded 43 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals, and 3 blocks in a 119–108 win over North Florida on 2 December 2015—the most points for a Tigers player since Shaquille O'Neal in 1991. He was named first-team All-SEC and SEC Freshman of the Year. After LSU failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament, Simmons declared for the 2016 NBA draft and was selected first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers. He sat out his first season due to an injured right foot, then won NBA Rookie of the Year in 2018. He earned three All-Star selections before a holdout led to a trade to the Brooklyn Nets. His contract was bought out in February 2025, and he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Did You Know?

• Simmons was born in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy on 20 July 1996.
• He is the son of an American-born father, Dave, who played professional basketball in Australia, and a White Australian mother, Julie.
• Simmons is a dual citizen of Australia and the United States and has played for the Australian national team.
• He was the third Melbourne-born number one overall pick in 11 years, joining Andrew Bogut (2005) and Kyrie Irving (2011).
• In his only college season, Simmons recorded 43 points in a game against North Florida, the most for an LSU player since Shaquille O'Neal in 1991.