Jonathon Simmons facts for kids

Jonathon Calvin Simmons (born September 14, 1989) is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for Al Riyadi in the Lebanese Basketball League. Jonathon played one season of college basketball for the University of Houston. After that, he played in a semi-professional league. This led him to join the NBA D-League team, the Austin Toros, in 2013. After two seasons in the D-League, Simmons joined the San Antonio Spurs. He signed with them after showing great skill in the 2015 NBA Summer League.

Early Life and College Basketball

Jonathon Simmons grew up in Houston, Texas. He played high school basketball at M. B. Smiley High School. In his senior year (2007–08), he was named co-Most Valuable Player for his district.

Playing for Junior Colleges

After high school, Simmons started his college career at Paris Junior College in 2008–09. He scored about 12.2 points and grabbed three rebounds per game. His strong play earned him all-conference honors. For his second year, Simmons moved to Midland College for the 2009–10 season. There, he continued to play well, averaging 13.3 points and four rebounds per game. He was chosen for both all-conference and all-region teams.

Time at the University of Houston

On November 15, 2010, Simmons decided to play college basketball for the University of Houston. However, he had to sit out the 2010–11 season. This was due to rules about players transferring between colleges.

In his junior year at Houston (2011–12), Simmons was a standout player. He was named to the RAMADA All-College Classic All-Tournament Team. He also earned the Conference USA Player of the Week award on February 20, 2012. He played in 30 games, starting 29 of them. On average, he scored 14.7 points, grabbed 5.0 rebounds, and made 2.2 assists per game. On April 12, 2012, Simmons decided to leave college early. He chose to enter the NBA draft instead of playing his senior year.

Professional Basketball Journey

Even though he worked out with several NBA teams, Jonathon Simmons was not chosen in the 2012 NBA draft. But he didn't give up on his dream.

Starting with Sugar Land Legends

In January 2013, Simmons was picked in the first round of the first-ever American Basketball League (ABL) draft. He joined the Sugar Land Legends. The league faced some money problems, which made the season difficult. Still, Simmons played very well, averaging 36.5 points over 16 games.

Playing for Austin Toros/Spurs

In September 2013, Simmons tried out for the Austin Toros. This team was part of the NBA Development League, now called the G League. He made the team's training camp roster and then the main team. In his first season (2013–14), he played 44 games. He averaged 9.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.0 steals per game.

Simmons returned to Austin for the 2014–15 season. The team's name had changed to the Austin Spurs. He got even better that season. On January 9, 2015, he scored a career-high 30 points against the Bakersfield Jam. During this time, Simmons thought about quitting basketball. He considered getting a regular job to support his four daughters. But he kept pushing forward. He even started playing as a point guard, which helped him see the game differently. This change helped him improve his overall play. He helped the Austin Spurs reach the Western Conference Finals. In 50 games that season, he averaged 15.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.0 steals. He was also named to the NBA D-League All-Defensive third team.

Time with the San Antonio Spurs

On June 29, 2015, Simmons was invited to play for the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA Summer League. After playing three games for the Nets, he was asked to join the San Antonio Spurs Summer League team. He quickly switched teams and played his first game for the Spurs on July 11. On July 20, he scored 23 points in the Las Vegas Summer League Championship Game. This helped the Spurs win the title, and he was named the Championship Game MVP. Two days later, he signed a contract with the Spurs.

Simmons didn't play in the Spurs' first five games of the 2015–16 season. He was sent to the Austin Spurs on November 7. He was called back to San Antonio on November 14 and made his NBA debut that night. He played eight minutes, scoring two points, grabbing two rebounds, making two assists, and one steal. The Spurs won 92–83 against the Philadelphia 76ers. He was sent back and forth between Austin and San Antonio several times that season. On December 7, he scored 14 points in a big win against the 76ers. On January 4, he scored a then career-high 18 points against the Milwaukee Bucks. Fans in Milwaukee even chanted "Who are you?" when he was shooting free throws, but he kept playing well. On April 13, in the last game of the regular season, Simmons scored a new career-high of 19 points.

In July 2016, Simmons played for the Spurs again in the 2016 NBA Summer League. In the Spurs' first game of the 2016–17 season, on October 25, 2016, Simmons scored a career-high 20 points. On December 30, 2016, he scored a team-high 19 points coming off the bench. On January 25, 2017, he was chosen for the U.S. Team in the 2017 Rising Stars Challenge. On May 11, 2017, Simmons started his first playoff game. He filled in for an injured teammate and scored 18 points. This helped the Spurs win against the Houston Rockets and move on to the Western Conference Finals.

On June 21, 2017, the Spurs offered Simmons a contract to keep him. However, on July 13, 2017, the Spurs decided not to keep him, making him a free agent.

Joining the Orlando Magic

On July 15, 2017, Simmons signed a three-year contract with the Orlando Magic. On October 29, 2017, he led the Magic with 27 points coming off the bench. On December 9, 2017, he scored a career-high 29 points. On February 6, 2018, he scored 22 of his career-high 34 points in just one quarter! This was close to the team record set by Tracy McGrady. On March 14, 2018, he set a new career high with 35 points in a win against the Milwaukee Bucks. On December 10, 2018, Simmons scored a season-high 18 points.

Short Time with the Philadelphia 76ers

On February 7, 2019, Simmons was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers as part of a trade for another player. On June 21, 2019, he was traded again, this time to the Washington Wizards. However, the Wizards decided to release him on July 7, 2019.

Playing for Santa Cruz Warriors

On February 25, 2020, the Santa Cruz Warriors announced they had acquired Simmons. On March 5, 2020, Simmons had his third game in a row with at least 18 points.

Playing Overseas

In late October 2020, Simmons traveled to China to play for the Liaoning Flying Leopards. The team officially announced his signing on December 1. On December 15, 2021, Simmons joined the Shanxi Loongs, another team in the Chinese Basketball Association.

In December 2022, Simmons signed with the NLEX Road Warriors in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He played only four games before returning to China for a better contract. He was replaced by another player.

Personal Life

Jonathon Simmons is the son of LaTonya Simmons. He has a younger brother and two sisters. Jonathon is also a father to four daughters.

See also

In Spanish: Jonathon Simmons para niños