Ben Simmons

Benjamin David Simmons is an Australian professional basketball player who plays for the Philadelphia 76ers. He is a 6’10 point guard who can guard positions 1-5. His playmaking and defense are elite. He is considered as the NBA’s best perimeter defender at the moment. He is the true meaning of “Stats don’t tell the whole story”. His impact goes beyond the statsheet.

Early Life

Ben was born on July 20, 1996 in Melbourne, Australia. He attended Box Hill Senior Secondary College in Melbourne but moved to the US to play with better competition. He played his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons at Montverde Academy and finished his highschool career as the number one player in the class of 2015. He played his college basketball for the Louisiana State University Tigers. After one season, he declared for the 2016 NBA Draft.

NBA Journey

The Philadelphia 76ers selected Ben with the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. During the 2016 offseason, he sustained a broken foot and did not play in the 2016-2017 NBA Season. He made his debut in the 2017-2018 NBA Season and won many plaudits for his play. He ended up winning the NBA Rookie of the Year over Donovan Mitchell.

During the 2018-2019 NBA Season, he earned his first of three All-Star team berths. The 76ers would narrowly lose out to the Toronto Raptors in a hard fought seven game series. The 2019-2020 NBA Season would be Ben’s best season in his brief career. He earned his first All-Defensive and All-NBA Team Selections. His knee injury ruined the 76ers’ chances of progressing past the first round.

During the 2020-2021 season, the 76ers finished the season as the number one seed in the east with Joel Embiid and Simmons leading the way. But during the playoffs, Ben had one of the worst playoff performances. He shot an abysmal 34.3% from the free throw line and was a large reason for the 76ers losing to the Hawks in the second round.

NBA Awards and Accolades

Net Worth

Ben Simmons is currently worth around $75 million. His current NBA Contract will pay him $33,003,936 through the 2021-2022 NBA Season. Ben Simmons' primary endorsement is with the athletic apparel giant Nike, which signed the hoops supernova to a $20 million contract during his rookie season.

Family

Ben was born in Melbourne to Dave and Julie Simmons. He was raised alongside five brothers and sisters—Melissa, Emily, Liam, Sean and Olivia—the first four being from his mother's previous marriage.