Ben Simmons is an Australian basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA. Simmons spent one season with the Louisiana State University Tigers, earning a consensus first-team All-America spot and the USBWA National Freshman of the Year award. He was the 76ers’ first overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft.
He missed his first year with the team due to a foot injury, but triumphantly returned the following year to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Simmons has been named an NBA All-Star for three consecutive years as of 2019.
This piece will focus on Ben Simmons’ parents, Dave and Julie Simmons.
Ben’s mother was divorced with four children when she met and married Dave Simmons.
Corey Sipkin/New York Daily News
Julie was a divorced single mother when she met Dave Simmons in 1991. Her first marriage produced four children: Melissa, Emily, Liam, and Sean.
Dave and Julie began dating, and three years later they were married and soon welcomed Olivia and Ben. Julia said USA Today that Ben was born at the same time as the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games Opening Ceremonies. The nurses and Dave were consumed by what was happening on TV as they waited for Julie to reach the point of bidding.
When the dancers on the screen held up cards that asked ‘HOW ARE YOU?’ Julie yelled, “I’ll tell you how I am, I’m trying to have a baby!” The scream returned to focus the attention of everyone in the room on Julie. Dave and Julie raised the children as one family, which helped the siblings form a strong bond.
The kids grew up athletic and super competitive. Being the youngest made Ben the butt of ridicule and jokes and always put him at a disadvantage when the family played games. “They helped him grow up,” Julie says of Ben’s older siblings. “He’s a cool, easy-going guy, but he also has nerves.”
Ben and his brothers still share a strong bond. In an interview with unbeaten On her bipolar diagnosis, Olivia Simmons opened up about how her brothers, and especially Ben, helped her deal with the condition. “Ben is like my best friend,” she wrote.
Ben recently surprised his brother Sean Tribe Simmons with an Audi SQ8 for his birthday. In a rare Instagram live session, Ben called Sean to wish him a happy birthday. “I have to show you something,” Ben said as he entered the garage. “So that’s your car,” he said, pointing to the Audi. Sean started to laugh but couldn’t help but burst into tears. As expected, Ben teased him about it. “I have you crying live?” Ben exclaimed.
Dave, a former basketball professional, took over Ben’s coaching after noticing the shortcomings of basketball coaching in Australia.
Dave Simmons played a pivotal role in turning Ben into the superstar he is today. Ben grew up in Australia, which doesn’t place as much emphasis on developing basketball talent as the United States does. Despite having obvious talent in basketball, Ben also played rugby union and Australian rules football, but ultimately settled on basketball.
“I felt that basketball was for me,” he said. USA Today. However, the methods of developing talent in Australia did not sit well with Dave Simmons. Dave Simmons, a retired basketball player from the Bronx, knew what his son needed to learn, having played international basketball for over a decade.
He had spent thirteen seasons playing in the Australian National Basketball League. He won the NBL championship with the Melbourne Tigers, who retired his number 25 jersey. Dave volunteered to coach Ben, but by the time Ben came to the United States, he hadn’t shaken the Australian game system. David explained:
“(Montverde’s) coach (Kevin) Boyle wanted the same thing: ‘I need you to take over the game. It’s not just passes, I need you to score. He has become very comfortable with it. Living in Australia you would call it more of an American style of play. They say that Americans are selfish and like to throw the ball. I think you can find the balance.”
Ben struck a balance between defense, playmaking and shooting, making him one of the few high-level players who can play anywhere on the court. Lebron James, Ben’s idol, also belongs to that exclusive club. According to Dave, Ben’s most impressive trait is his ability to stay calm under pressure. He continued:
“He would say, ‘We lost, but it was just a game.’ He wouldn’t take it too personally. He is more or less like that now. For me, he’s the guy you want to have the ball at the end of the game. Every team should have a guy like that. Under pressure, he’s going to be the calmest person there is.”
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn