Anfernee Simons facts for kids
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Simons with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2019
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| No. 1 – Portland Trail Blazers | |
|---|---|
| Shooting guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 8, 1999 Altamonte Springs, Florida, U.S. |
| High school |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA Draft | 2018 / Round: 1 / Pick: 24th overall |
| Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Pro career | 2018–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| 2018–present | Portland Trail Blazers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Anfernee Tyrik Simons (born June 8, 1999) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Portland Trail Blazers team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Simons played high school basketball at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. He became the first American player to enter the NBA draft right after high school since 2005. This was when the league first put age rules in place.
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High School Basketball Journey
Anfernee Simons first went to Edgewater High School in Orlando, Florida. In his second year, he scored about 18 points per game. He also had 4.6 assists and 2.4 rebounds.
He later moved to Montverde Academy. But he returned to Edgewater High School. He wanted to wait a year before thinking about college. Simons graduated from Edgewater in 2017. In his last year, he averaged 23.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists.
After graduating, he went to IMG Academy for an extra year. This was because he changed his graduation year to 2018. In the summer of 2017, he also played for the United States men's national under-19 basketball team.
Simons was seen as a top player for the 2018 class. Experts like 247Sports.com ranked him as the 7th best player. In January 2018, he said he would likely skip college. He planned to enter the 2018 NBA Draft instead. He confirmed this decision in March 2018. ESPN ranked him as the 19th best player for the draft. Simons was also invited to the 2018 NBA Draft Combine. This event lets teams see players before the draft.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing for the Portland Trail Blazers (2018–present)
The Portland Trail Blazers picked Anfernee Simons as the 24th player in the 2018 NBA draft. He was one of the few high school players drafted into the NBA since 2015. On July 2, 2018, the Trail Blazers officially signed Simons to their team.
In January 2019, the Blazers sent Simons to the Agua Caliente Clippers. This was for an NBA G League assignment. It helped him get more playing time and experience.
On April 10, 2019, Simons started his first NBA game. He played against the Sacramento Kings. He scored a career-high 37 points. He also had 6 rebounds and 9 assists. He was the first Trail Blazers rookie to score over 30 points since Damian Lillard.
Slam Dunk Champion
In 2021, Simons took part in the Slam Dunk Contest. This is a fun event during the 2021 NBA All-Star Game. He tried a special dunk where he aimed to kiss the rim. He didn't quite make that part, but he still finished the dunk. Even with the missed kiss, he won the 2021 Slam Dunk Champion title.
Key Games and Achievements
On January 3, 2022, Simons scored a new career-high 43 points. He made nine three-pointers in a win against the Atlanta Hawks. He dedicated this game to his grandfather. Later that season, he had to stop playing. This was because of a knee injury called patellar tendinopathy.
On July 6, 2022, Simons signed a new contract with the Trail Blazers. It was for four years and $100 million. On October 21, Simons made a game-winning shot. It was a floater in overtime against the Phoenix Suns. On December 3, Simons scored another career-high of 45 points. This helped his team win against the Utah Jazz. On February 3, 2023, Simons scored 33 points. This helped his team make a comeback win against the Washington Wizards.
In October 2023, Simons hurt his right thumb. He tore a ligament (UCL). This meant he could not play for four to six weeks. On December 19, 2024, Simons had a great game. He got a double-double and hit a game-winning shot at the buzzer. This helped his team beat the Denver Nuggets.
Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Portland | 20 | 1 | 7.0 | .444 | .345 | .563 | .7 | .7 | .1 | .0 | 3.8 |
| 2019–20 | Portland | 70 | 4 | 20.7 | .399 | .332 | .826 | 2.2 | 1.4 | .4 | .1 | 8.3 |
| 2020–21 | Portland | 64 | 0 | 17.3 | .419 | .426 | .807 | 2.2 | 1.4 | .3 | .1 | 7.8 |
| 2021–22 | Portland | 57 | 30 | 29.5 | .443 | .405 | .888 | 2.6 | 3.9 | .5 | .1 | 17.3 |
| 2022–23 | Portland | 62 | 62 | 35.0 | .447 | .377 | .894 | 2.6 | 4.1 | .7 | .2 | 21.1 |
| 2023–24 | Portland | 46 | 46 | 34.4 | .430 | .385 | .916 | 3.6 | 5.5 | .5 | .1 | 22.6 |
| Career | 319 | 143 | 25.5 | .432 | .386 | .873 | 2.5 | 2.9 | .4 | .1 | 14.1 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Portland | 5 | 0 | 2.4 | .000 | .000 | .800 | .0 | .0 | .2 | .0 | .8 |
| 2020 | Portland | 4 | 0 | 20.5 | .305 | .429 | .833 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 1.5 | .0 | 6.8 |
| 2021 | Portland | 6 | 0 | 17.8 | .560 | .611 | .000 | 2.7 | .8 | .3 | .2 | 6.5 |
| Career | 15 | 0 | 13.4 | .379 | .500 | .818 | 1.8 | 1.0 | .6 | .1 | 4.7 | |
Personal Life
Anfernee Simons got his unique name because his parents, Charles and Tameka, were big fans of the Orlando Magic basketball team. They named him after a famous former player, Penny Hardaway. It's cool that Hardaway even coached Simons later at a Team USA Basketball training camp!
See also
In Spanish: Anfernee Simons para niños
