Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | April 13, 1963 |
Nationality | American / Australian |
Listed height | 205 cm (6 ft 9 in) |
Listed weight | 112 kg (247 lb) |
Career information | |
High school | South Bronx (Bronx, New York) |
College | Oklahoma City |
Playing career | 1989–2001 |
Position | Power forward / Center |
Number | 25 |
Career history | |
As player: | |
1989–1996 | Melbourne Tigers |
1994 | Westchester Stallions |
1997 | Newcastle Falcons |
1998 | Sydney Kings |
1998–1999 | Newcastle Falcons |
1999–2001 | Canberra Cannons |
As coach: | |
2003–2005 | Hunter Pirates (interim & asst.) |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
David Simmons (born April 13, 1963) is an American-Australian former professional basketball player who played 13 seasons in the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). He was named an NBL All-Star and won an NBL championship with the Melbourne Tigers, who retired his No. 25. He also had a two-year coaching stint with the Hunter Pirates.
A New York City native, Simmons attended South Bronx High School in The Bronx before playing college basketball for Oklahoma City University during the 1980s. After graduating from Oklahoma City and moving around Central and South America for a short while, Simmons signed with the Melbourne Tigers of the Australian National Basketball League in 1989. He and fellow American Dave Colbert were fan favorites in Melbourne as they brought immediate success to a booming franchise. In his first NBL game, Simmons scored 28 points against the Hobart Devils. He backed this up with a 25-point, 15-rebound effort against the Eastside Melbourne Spectres the next night. He went on to score 30 or more points seven times in his debut season, including a 40-point performance against the Brisbane Bullets on August 20. To conclude a successful season, Simmons, Colbert and Australian basketball legend Andrew Gaze helped the Tigers reach the NBL post-season for the first time in club history. Simmons continued to play with the Tigers through the early 1990s, earning All-Star honors in his second season and helped the Tigers win the NBL championship in 1993.