| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1963-04-13)April 13, 1963 (age 62) |
| Nationality | American / Australian |
| Listed height | 205 cm (6 ft 9 in) |
| Listed weight | 112 kg (247 lb) |
| Career information | |
| High school | South Bronx (Bronx, New York) |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 1987:undrafted |
| Playing career | 1989–2001 |
| Position | Power forward /center |
| Number | 25 |
| Coaching career | 2003–2005 |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 1989–1996 | Melbourne Tigers |
| 1994 | Westchester Stallions |
| 1997 | Newcastle Falcons |
| 1998 | Sydney Kings |
| 1998–1999 | Newcastle Falcons |
| 1999–2001 | Canberra Cannons |
Coaching | |
| 2003 | Hunter Pirates (assistant) |
| 2003–2004 | Hunter Pirates (interim) |
| 2004–2005 | Hunter Pirates (assistant) |
| Career highlights | |
David Simmons (born April 13, 1963) is an American-Australian former professionalbasketball player who played 13 seasons in the AustralianNational Basketball League (NBL). He was named anNBL All-Star and won anNBL championship with theMelbourne Tigers, whoretired his No. 25. He also had a two-year coaching stint with theHunter Pirates. Simmons is the father ofNational Basketball Association (NBA) playerBen Simmons.
ANew York City native, Simmons attended South Bronx High School inThe Bronx[1] before playingcollege basketball in the state ofOklahoma. He first joinedOklahoma Baptist in 1981, but left after one season after struggling academically.[2] He resurfaced atEl Reno Junior College (now called Redlands) the next season and averaged 20 points a game, before returning to Oklahoma Baptist for the 1984–85 season.[2]
Simmons transferred toOklahoma City in 1985 and sat out the season. He went on to average 12 points per game during the 1986–87 season.[2]
After graduating from Oklahoma City and moving around Central and South America for a short while, Simmons signed with theMelbourne Tigers of the AustralianNational Basketball League in 1989.[3] He and fellow American Dave Colbert were fan favorites in Melbourne as they brought immediate success to a booming franchise. In his first NBL game, Simmons scored 28 points against theHobart Devils. He backed this up with a 25-point, 15-rebound effort against theEastside Melbourne Spectres the next night. He went on to score 30 or more points seven times in his debut season, including a 40-point performance against theBrisbane Bullets on August 20. To conclude a successful season, Simmons, Colbert and Australian basketball legendAndrew Gaze helped the Tigers reach the NBL post-season for the first time in club history. Simmons continued to play with the Tigers through the early 1990s, earning All-Star honors in his second season and helped the Tigers win the NBL championship in 1993.[4]
In the spring of 1994, Simmons joined the Westchester Stallions of theUnited States Basketball League before returning to the Melbourne Tigers for the1994 NBL season. Simmons was considered the ultimate team man as he adjusted his play to suit his role every season. However, following the conclusion of the1996 season, the Tigers parted ways with Simmons as they wanted change with an import who could provide more offence than what they felt Simmons could give the team. Simmons subsequently joined theNewcastle Falcons in 1997 but managed just one season with the club. He joined theSydney Kings a month into the1998 season, but his stint did not last long, as he left the club after appearing in just six games.[5]
In December 1998, Simmons returned to the Newcastle Falcons, signing with the club for the rest of the1998–99 NBL season as a replacement for sacked importTodd Mundt.[6][7] Following the conclusion of the NBL season, he joined theRockhampton Rockets for the 1999QBL season.[6]
In September 1999, Simmons signed with theCanberra Cannons as a naturalized Australian to replace injured import Clayton Ritter.[6] He played two seasons for the Cannons but finished his career on a sour note when he was released by the club with six games to go in the2000–01 season due to off court issues that were not disclosed to the public.[4]
Simmons joined theHunter Pirates as an assistant coach for the2003–04 NBL season.[8] He was appointed interim head coach in December 2003 afterBruce Palmer was sacked.[9] Following the appointment ofAdrian Hurley as Pirates head coach for the2004–05 season, Simmons remained with the club as assistant coach.[10]
Simmons is anAfrican American who became a naturalized Australian citizen.[11][6] He and his wife Julie, a white Australian,[11] have two children: daughter Olivia and sonBen.[12] He also has four step-children: Melissa, Emily, Liam and Sean; Emily is the wife ofNFL playerMichael Bush.[13] His long-time friend, David Patrick, is the godfather of his son Ben. Patrick was an assistant coach atLouisiana State University (LSU) during Ben's lone season there.[14] Ben Simmons was selected by thePhiladelphia 76ers with the first overall pick in the2016 NBA draft.[15]