At 6’10” tall, Ben Simmons is a force to be reckoned with both on and off the basketball court. He’s been playing in the NBA for almost a decade now, although injury has kept him away from playing more than one season. After the drama surrounding his departure from the Philadelphia 76ers and failure to play more than a few games since being traded to the Brooklyn Nets, basketball lovers are curious about what the Australian will have to offer this season. According to the athlete’s agent, he’ll be a “full participant” at the latter team’s upcoming training camp scheduled for Oct. 1. As The Score notes, Simmons has only made 57 appearances since being acquired by the Nets in exchange for former MVP James Harden. All eyes are on the 28-year-old as he gears up for what could be his first great performance in years.
Simmons Looks At Home On America’s Basketball Courts, But He’s A Long Way From His Native Country
Ben Simmons was born on July 20, 1996, in Melbourne to an Australian mother and Black father. The family patriarch was a basketball player and later, coach, helping shape his son’s love for the sport; both Simmons and his dad played for their native country’s National Basketball League. The former picked up the sport when he was only seven, also dabbling in rugby and football growing up.
In 2013, the athlete moved across the globe to America so he could compete with players of similar heights and athleticism. He attended Florida’s Montverde Academy, where he was named Mr. Basketball USA and Gatorade Player of the Year in his senior year. Simmons pursued post-secondary at Lousiana State University, playing just one year for the Tigers before entering the NBA Draft. The point guard’s talent was recognized, earning him a spot with the 76ers as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 Draft. With so much pressure on his shoulders, Simmons sadly didn’t make it to the court as a foot fracture ruled him out for his entire first season.
Things went more smoothly during his second year in the league; Simmons scored his first triple-double in his fourth game and earned the accolade of NBA Rookie of the Year. His team advanced to the playoffs in 2017 but lost to the Boston Celtics in the conference semifinals. The foreign player’s third season was his best to date, finishing with a career-high average of 16.9 points per game and his first All-Star selection. Despite advancing to the semi-finals again, the 76ers lost to the Toronto Raptors.
76ers Former No. 1 Pick Faced Tons Of Fines For Leaving His Team
When Ben Simmons was named All-Star for the third year in a row, things seemed to be going in his favor, but the 2020 playoffs changed everything for the baller. He “became the worst free-throw shooter in postseason history with at least 67 attempts,” ultimately leading him to walk away from the Philadelphia-based team. Simmons went on holdout from them, leading him to become the most-fined player in NBA history in terms of financial loss. According to NBC Sports, he was fined more than $19M ($360K per missed game) until finally being traded to the Nets in early 2022. However, that still didn’t get Simmons back in the game as a herniated disk ruled him out for the remainder of the season.
What Is Ben Simmons’ Net Worth?
Since then, the 28-year-old has continued to face injuries and issues with his back, keeping him out of NBA lover’s good graces. The aforementioned update from his agent is positive, but still, people are reluctant to place bets on the LSU alum just yet.
Even with all the fines he faced from the 76ers, Ben Simmons’ net worth is still a reported $80M as of July 2024. The upcoming NBA season will be his last under his current $177M contract, which means he can expect a salary of $40.3M if all goes well. Do you think the Australian will be back on top of his game this fall? Let us know in the comments!
