Jonathon Simmons facts for kids

Jonathon Calvin Simmons, born on 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 Division I college basketball for the University of Houston. After college, he played in a semi-professional league called the American Basketball League (ABL). This led him to join the NBA D-League team, the Austin Toros, in 2013. After playing two seasons in the D-League, Simmons signed with the San Antonio Spurs. He joined them after showing great skill in the 2015 NBA Summer League.

Early Basketball Journey

High School and College Years

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

After high school, Simmons started his college basketball career. In 2008–09, he played for Paris Junior College. He averaged 12.2 points and three rebounds per game there. His good performance earned him all-conference honors. For his second year, Simmons moved to Midland College for the 2009–10 season. 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.

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

In his junior year at Houston (2011–12), Simmons was a key player. He was named to the RAMADA All-College Classic All-Tournament Team. He also won the Conference USA Player of the Week award on February 20, 2012. He played in 30 games, starting 29 of them. In these games, he averaged 14.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 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 Career

Starting in the ABL and D-League

Even though Jonathon Simmons worked out with several NBA teams, he was not chosen in the 2012 NBA draft. In January 2013, he was picked in the first round of the first-ever American Basketball League (ABL) draft. He joined the Sugar Land Legends. The ABL season was difficult because of money problems. Despite this, Simmons still averaged an amazing 36.5 points over 16 games.

In September 2013, Simmons tried out for the Austin Toros. This team was part of the NBA Development League. He successfully made the team's training camp roster. He then made the final team roster for the season. In his first year (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 played even better this season. On January 9, 2015, he scored a career-high 30 points against the Bakersfield Jam. During his time in Austin, Simmons thought about quitting basketball. He considered going back home to work a regular job to support his four daughters. But he kept going. In his second season, he became a strong player again. He even played as a point guard, which helped him see the game differently. This change helped him improve his overall game. 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 per game. He was also named to the NBA D-League All-Defensive third team.

Joining the San Antonio Spurs

On June 29, 2015, Simmons was chosen to play for the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA Summer League. He played in both the Orlando and Las Vegas Summer Leagues. After playing three games for the Nets in Orlando, he was invited to join the San Antonio Spurs Summer League team in Las Vegas. He left the Nets 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 Simmons was named the Championship Game MVP. Two days later, he officially signed with the Spurs.

Simmons did not play in the Spurs' first five games of the 2015–16 season. On November 7, he was sent to the Austin Spurs, his old team. On November 14, he was called back to San Antonio. He made his NBA debut that night. In eight minutes, he scored two points, had two rebounds, two assists, and one steal. The Spurs won the game 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 had a great game, scoring 14 points in 24 minutes. This helped the Spurs win 119–68 against the Philadelphia 76ers. On January 4, he scored a career-high 18 points in a 123–98 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. During that game, Bucks fans tried to distract him by chanting "Who are you?" while he was shooting free throws. On April 13, in the last game of the regular season, Simmons scored a career-high 19 points. The Spurs won 96–91 against the Dallas Mavericks.

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 new career-high of 20 points. The Spurs won 129–100 against the Golden State Warriors. On December 30, 2016, he scored a team-high 19 points in 30 minutes. The Spurs won 110–94 against the Portland Trail Blazers. 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 the injured Kawhi Leonard and scored 18 points. The Spurs won 114–75 against the Houston Rockets in Game 6 of their second-round series. This win helped the Spurs move on to the Western Conference Finals.

On June 21, 2017, the Spurs offered Simmons a contract worth $1.6 million. This would have made him a restricted free agent. However, on July 13, 2017, the Spurs took back their offer.

Time with the Orlando Magic

On July 15, 2017, Simmons signed a three-year contract worth $20 million with the Orlando Magic. On October 29, 2017, he led the Magic with 27 points. He shot very well, making 9 of 15 shots. The Magic lost 120–113 to the Charlotte Hornets. On December 9, 2017, he scored a career-high 29 points in a 117–110 loss to the Atlanta Hawks. On February 6, 2018, he scored 22 of his career-high 34 points in just the third quarter. The Magic won 116–98 against the Cleveland Cavaliers. His 22-point quarter was close to the team record set by Tracy McGrady in 2003. On March 14, 2018, he set a new career high with 35 points. The Magic won 126–117 against the Milwaukee Bucks.

On December 10, 2018, Simmons scored a season-high 18 points. The Magic lost 101–76 to the Dallas Mavericks.

Short Stint with the Philadelphia 76ers

On February 7, 2019, Simmons was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. He was traded along with some future draft picks. In return, the Magic received Markelle Fultz.

On June 21, 2019, Simmons was traded again, this time to the Washington Wizards. On July 7, 2019, the Wizards decided to release Simmons from their team.

Playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors

On February 25, 2020, the Santa Cruz Warriors announced they had acquired Simmons. This team is part of the NBA G League. On March 5, 2020, Simmons had his third straight game with at least 18 points. He also grabbed six rebounds in a game against the Salt Lake City Stars.

Playing Overseas

In late October 2020, Simmons traveled to China to join the Liaoning Flying Leopards basketball team. His signing was officially announced on December 1.

On December 15, 2021, Simmons joined another Chinese team, the Shanxi Loongs of the Chinese Basketball Association.

In December 2022, Simmons signed with the NLEX Road Warriors in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He played as the team's "import" player for the 2023 PBA Governors' Cup. He only played four games before returning to China for a better contract. He was replaced by another player, Wayne Selden Jr.. He later returned to the Shanxi Loongs in 2023. From 2023 to 2024, he played for Ohud Medina. Since 2024, he has been playing for Al Riyadi.

Career Statistics

Here are Jonathon Simmons's basketball statistics from his time in the NBA and college. These numbers show how well he played in different areas of the game.

NBA

Regular Season

Playoffs

College

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