Lionel Simmons facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | November 14, 1968 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| High school | South Philadelphia (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
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| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College | La Salle (1986–1990) | |||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1990 / Round: 1 / Pick: 7th overall | |||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Sacramento Kings | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 1990–1997 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1997 | Sacramento Kings | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Career NBA statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Points | 5,833 (12.8 ppg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Rebounds | 2,833 (4.5 rpg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Assists | 1,498 (3.3 apg) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Lionel James "L-Train" Simmons (born November 14, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player. He was known for his amazing skills in scoring and rebounding during his time playing college and professional basketball.
Contents
Early Life and High School Success
Lionel Simmons grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He played basketball at South Philadelphia High School. In 1986, he led his high school team to win the Philadelphia Public League boys' championship. He was even named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for his great performance.
Years later, in 2008, Lionel Simmons was honored for his achievements. He was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. This shows how important his contributions to sports in Philadelphia were.
College Basketball Career
Lionel Simmons played college basketball for La Salle University. He was a small forward, which is a position in basketball. He stood 6 feet 7 inches tall.
During his senior year at La Salle, Simmons won two major awards. These were the Naismith College Player of the Year and the John R. Wooden Award. These awards are given to the best college basketball players in the country.
Simmons is one of the top scorers in NCAA history. The NCAA is the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which organizes college sports. He scored 3,217 points in his college career. Only a few players have scored more points than him.
He also made history by being the first player in NCAA history to score over 3,000 points and grab more than 1,100 rebounds. Rebounds are when a player gets the ball after a missed shot. He also holds the NCAA record for scoring in double figures (10 points or more) in 115 games in a row!
Simmons led his team, the La Salle Explorers, to the NCAA Tournament three times in a row. This tournament is a big competition where the best college teams play against each other. He was also named the Player of the Year in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference for three years.
For his amazing college career, Lionel Simmons was inducted into the La Salle University Hall of Athletes in 1995. He was also inducted into the Big 5 Hall of Fame in 1996. His jersey number, 22, was retired by La Salle Explorers, meaning no other player on the team will wear that number again.
Professional Basketball Career
After his successful college career, Lionel Simmons was chosen by the Sacramento Kings in the 1990 NBA draft. He was the seventh player picked overall. The NBA is the National Basketball Association, the top professional basketball league in North America.
In his first year, Simmons played very well. On March 23, 1991, he scored a career-high 42 points in a game against the Phoenix Suns. He was almost named the NBA Rookie of the Year, finishing as the runner-up. He was also named the NBA Player of the Week during his rookie season.
Simmons played for the Sacramento Kings for seven seasons. He scored a total of 5,833 points during his professional career. Sadly, he had to retire early in 1997 because of ongoing injuries. Even though his career was cut short, he earned over $21 million playing professional basketball.
See also
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds
- List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career scoring leaders
