History of Ben Simmons in Timeline

Ben Simmons is an Australian professional basketball player who was drafted first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016 after a single college season with LSU. Sidelined by injury his first year, he earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2018 and became a three-time NBA All-Star with the 76ers. Following a holdout after the 2020-21 season, he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets. After a buyout by the Nets, Simmons joined the Los Angeles Clippers.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1960: Oscar Robertson's Record

In 1960, Oscar Robertson set a record that Ben Simmons matched in 2017, posting 10-plus points, 10-plus rebounds, and 5-plus assists in his first three NBA games.

1967: Art Williams' Rookie Triple-Double

In 1967, Art Williams recorded a triple-double in his first four games, a feat matched by Ben Simmons in 2017.

1980: First Rookie Playoff Triple-Double since Magic Johnson

In the 2018 NBA playoffs, Ben Simmons became the first rookie since Magic Johnson in 1980 to have a playoff triple-double. At the season's end, Simmons was named the NBA Rookie of the Year and earned NBA All-Rookie First Team honors.

1989: Father played for the Melbourne Tigers

In 1989, Dave Simmons, Ben Simmons' father, played professionally for the Melbourne Tigers in the National Basketball League (NBL).

December 1991: Shaquille O'Neal's 43 points

In December 1991, Shaquille O'Neal scored 43 points against Northern Arizona. In comparison, Ben Simmons scored 43 points against North Florida on December 2, 2015.

July 1996: Birth of Ben Simmons

In July 1996, Benjamin David Simmons was born. He would go on to become a professional basketball player.

July 20, 1996: Ben Simmons was born

On July 20, 1996, Ben Simmons was born in Fitzroy, a suburb of Melbourne, to Julie and Dave Simmons. His father played basketball professionally.

2001: 76ers Best Team Mark Since 2001

The 76ers record of 52-30 set the best team mark since 2001, when they went 56-26. In April 2018, Simmons was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in March and April, earning the award for the third consecutive month and the fourth time overall.

2005: Andrew Bogut Drafted #1

In 2005, Andrew Bogut was drafted #1 overall.

2011: Kyrie Irving Drafted #1

In 2011, Kyrie Irving was drafted #1 overall.

2011: Played for Box Hill Senior Secondary College

In 2011, at the age of 15, Ben Simmons played basketball for Box Hill Senior Secondary College at the Australian Schools Championships.

2012: Scholarship and First U.S. Appearance

In 2012, Ben Simmons took up a scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport and made his first appearance in the United States at the Pangos All-American Camp. He also represented Australia at the 2012 FIBA Under-17 World Championship.

January 2013: Moved to the U.S.

In January 2013, Ben Simmons moved to the U.S. and attended Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida.

April 2013: Helped Montverde win High School National Tournament

In April 2013, Ben Simmons helped Montverde Academy win the High School National Tournament.

June 2013: Joined Bulleen Boomers

In June 2013, after competing in the Jordan Brand Classic International Game, Ben Simmons joined the Bulleen Boomers of the Big V competition in Melbourne.

October 2013: Committed to Louisiana State University

On 14 October 2013, Ben Simmons committed to Louisiana State University (LSU) to play college basketball, choosing them over offers from Kentucky, Kansas, and Duke.

2013: Junior Season at Montverde Academy

During the 2013–14 season, Ben Simmons returned to Montverde Academy for his junior season, where he averaged 18.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, leading the team to a 28–0 record and a High School National Tournament victory. He earned MVP honors.

2013: Preseason Player of the Year

Prior to his freshman year of college in 2013, Ben Simmons was named the SEC's Preseason Player of the Year and earned Associated Press preseason All-America team honours.

November 2014: Signed National Letter of Intent with LSU

On 12 November 2014, Ben Simmons signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball for LSU.

January 2015: Named McDonald's All-American Game Starter

On 28 January 2015, Ben Simmons was named as a starter for the East team to compete in the 38th annual McDonald's All-American Game.

March 2015: Won Multiple Awards

In March 2015, Ben Simmons was named the Morgan Wootten Award winner on March 10. He then was named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year on March 12 and the Gatorade National Player of the Year on March 24 after leading the Eagles to a 28–1 record.

August 2015: Simmons Signals Intentions to Represent Australia

In August 2015, Ben Simmons signaled his intentions to represent Australia at the 2016 Summer Olympics and said he was aiming to win a medal.

November 2015: College Debut

In November 2015, Ben Simmons made his college debut for LSU, recording a double-double in a win over McNeese State.

2015: High School National Tournament Title

In 2015, Ben Simmons led Montverde Academy to a third consecutive High School National Tournament title, earning MVP honors. He also competed in the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit for the World Team.

2015: Ranked #1 Player

In 2015, Ben Simmons was considered a five-star recruit by ESPN.com, listed as the No. 1 power forward and the No. 1 player in the nation.

January 2016: Compared to LeBron James

In January 2016, after a win over Kentucky, Ben Simmons was dubbed the best all-round player since LeBron James by Magic Johnson. Later in January, Simmons was benched for a game due to academic reasons.

March 2016: Declared for the NBA Draft

In March 2016, after LSU failed to earn an NCAA tournament bid, Ben Simmons declared for the 2016 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.

April 2016: Simmons Withdraws from Olympics

In April 2016, Ben Simmons withdrew from the Australian team in order to prepare for his rookie season in the NBA.

June 2016: Cousin Killed in Hit-and-Run

In June 2016, a cousin of Ben Simmons, who had attended the 2016 NBA draft, was killed in a hit-and-run on June 25, 2016 in New Jersey.

June 2016: Signed endorsement deal with Nike

On 7 June 2016, Ben Simmons signed an endorsement deal with Nike.

July 2016: Signed with 76ers and Summer League

In July 2016, Ben Simmons signed his rookie contract with the 76ers and participated in the NBA Summer League, where he was praised for his court awareness and passing ability.

September 2016: Ankle Injury

In September 2016, Ben Simmons rolled his right ankle during the 76ers' training camp.

November 2016: Featured in Showtime documentary

In November 2016, Ben Simmons was featured in the Showtime documentary film One & Done, which explored his experiences as a one-and-done college player and his family's views on the NCAA and the NBA's "one and done" rule.

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2016: Drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers

In 2016, Ben Simmons was selected as the first overall pick in the NBA draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.

2016: Drafted #1 by 76ers

In 2016, Ben Simmons was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the number one overall pick in the NBA draft.

2016: End of LSU Regular Season

In 2016, LSU finished the regular season with an 18–13 record and failed to receive an NCAA tournament berth, despite Ben Simmons leading the team in most statistical categories.

February 2017: Ruled out for the season

In February 2017, Ben Simmons was ruled out for the entire 2016–17 NBA season due to his broken right foot not fully healing.

October 2017: Simmons Intends to Represent Australia at 2020 Summer Olympics

In October 2017, Ben Simmons made clear his intentions to represent Australia at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

October 2017: NBA Debut

In October 2017, Ben Simmons made his NBA debut, recording 18 points and 10 rebounds. He then joined Oscar Robertson as the only players to post 10+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in their first three NBA games. In his fourth game, Simmons recorded his first career triple-double.

September 2018: Simmons Begins Working to Improve Shooting

In September 2018, Ben Simmons announced that during the off-season he began working to improve his shooting with his brother Liam Tribe-Simmons and would continue to do so for the remainder of the season.

October 2018: Simmons Records Double-Double in Season Opener

On October 16, 2018, in the 76ers' season opener, Ben Simmons recorded 19 points and 15 rebounds in a loss to the Boston Celtics. Two days later, he had a triple-double in a win over the Chicago Bulls and became the first Sixer to ever get one in a home opener.

2018: NBA Rookie of the Year

In 2018, Ben Simmons was named the NBA Rookie of the Year.

May 2019: Simmons Confirms Intent to Represent Australia

On May 15, 2019, Ben Simmons confirmed he would represent Australia in the 2019 FIBA World Cup and multiple exhibition games against Canada and the United States.

July 2019: Simmons Withdraws from Australian National Team

In July 2019, Ben Simmons announced that he would not play for the Australian national team in 2019, citing "professional obligations".

July 2019: Simmons Agrees to Contract Extension with 76ers

On July 15, 2019, Ben Simmons and the 76ers agreed to a $170 million, five-year contract extension.

October 2019: Simmons Scores 24 Points in Season Opener

On October 23, 2019, in the 2019–20 NBA season opener against the Boston Celtics, Ben Simmons scored 24 points on 68 percent shooting and recorded nine assists and eight rebounds in a win.

January 2020: Simmons Scores 34 Points in Win Over Nets

On January 20, 2020, Ben Simmons scored 34 points and recorded 12 assists and 12 rebounds in a 117–111 win over the Brooklyn Nets. On January 30, it was announced Simmons had been awarded with his second All-Star appearance.

August 2020: Simmons Returns During NBA Bubble

On August 1, 2020, Ben Simmons returned to play during the NBA Bubble, scoring 19 points along with 13 rebounds and 4 assists in a loss to the Indiana Pacers.

October 2020: Endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris

In October 2020, Ben Simmons announced his endorsement for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for the 2020 United States presidential election.

2020: Holdout from 76ers

Following the 2020–21 season, Ben Simmons held out from the 76ers.

June 2021: Simmons Withdraws from Olympics to Improve Shooting

In June 2021, Ben Simmons withdrew from the Australia Olympic squad, stating that he was focusing on improving his shooting skills for the 2021–22 NBA season.

August 2021: Simmons Requests Trade from 76ers

In August 2021, Ben Simmons decided he no longer wanted to be a member of the 76ers and requested a trade, willing to miss training camp to enforce his demand, citing issues with his fit alongside Joel Embiid.

October 2021: Simmons Suspended and Fined

In October 2021, Ben Simmons was thrown out of practice by Doc Rivers and suspended by the 76ers for conduct detrimental to the team. He had previously been fined for missing preseason games and practices. Due to repeated fines, Simmons became the most-fined player in NBA history.

2021: Reportedly became engaged to Maya Jama

Over the 2021 Christmas holiday, Ben Simmons reportedly became engaged to British television personality Maya Jama.

January 2022: 76ers Limit Fines for Simmons

In January 2022, the 76ers reportedly limited their fining of Ben Simmons in response to him attending team meetings and counseling sessions, but continued to dock him for missed games.

February 2022: Simmons Traded to Brooklyn Nets

On February 10, 2022, Ben Simmons was traded to the Brooklyn Nets along with Andre Drummond, Seth Curry, and two future first-round picks, in exchange for James Harden and Paul Millsap.

August 2022: Ended engagement with Maya Jama

In August 2022, Ben Simmons and British television personality Maya Jama reportedly ended their engagement.

August 2022: Settlement Reached Regarding Withheld Salary

In August 2022, Ben Simmons and the 76ers settled for an undisclosed amount regarding the grievance Simmons filed to recoup nearly $20 million in salary withheld from him by the 76ers.

October 2022: Simmons Makes Nets Debut

On October 19, 2022, Ben Simmons made his Nets debut, putting up four points, five rebounds, and five assists before fouling out in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

January 2023: Simmons Records First Triple-Double as a Net

On January 17, 2023, Ben Simmons recorded his first triple-double as a Net, logging ten points, ten rebounds, and eleven assists in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

February 2023: Simmons Receives PRP Injection for Knee Soreness

In February 2023, Ben Simmons had his knee drained and received a PRP injection for his ongoing left knee soreness.

August 2023: Simmons Declares Intent to Join Australian Team for 2024 Summer Olympics

In August 2023, Ben Simmons declared his intent to join the Australian team for the 2024 Summer Olympics but was later ruled out due to an ongoing back injury.

January 2024: Simmons Makes Season Debut

After missing the first 38 games of the 2023-24 NBA season, Ben Simmons made his season debut on January 29, 2024. He recorded 10 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds in the Nets' win against the Utah Jazz.

April 2024: Simmons Not Included in Preliminary Olympic Team Selection Pool

In April 2024, Ben Simmons was not included in Australia's preliminary team selection pool announced due to back problems.

February 2025: Signed with the Los Angeles Clippers

In February 2025, the Brooklyn Nets bought out Ben Simmons' contract, and he subsequently signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.

February 2025: Simmons Waived by Nets

On February 8, 2025, Ben Simmons was waived and the remainder of his contract was bought out by the Nets. Over the course of 3 seasons, the Nets paid Simmons $124 million for 90 games played.