The moment Dave Simmons knew his son Ben had the drive and dedication to be an NBA star
IT was the moment when Dave Simmons knew his son Ben, who was only seven at the time, possessed the competitive drive to play in the world’s best basketball competition.
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IT’S the moment when Dave Simmons knew his son possessed the competitive drive to play in the world’s best basketball competition.
The year was 2003 and Ben Simmons, only seven, is completing his daily hoops session alongside his mother Julie in a Newcastle gym.
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Ben has already spent hours honing his skills, but his intensity hasn’t wavered.
With every jump shot or lay-up, he barks orders at his mother to promptly collect the rebound so he can fire off another attempt.
“C’mon mum, faster,” Simmons says, clapping.
Watching on, Simmons Sr knew he had something special on his hands.
“Ben was clapping like he was a professional, but that was the focus he had,” Dave said.
“We look back on that now and laugh. For us, we were just in the gym shooting around. But for him, as a seven-year-old, he was serious about what he was doing, which is quite scary when you look at where he is today.
“This kid has been focused and driven for a long time.”
Thanks to his grounding in Australia, Simmons is now excelling with the Philadelphia 76ers in his rookie NBA season.
In his 27 games, he is averaging 17.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 7.8 assists. They are impressive numbers that have Simmons on par with some of the greatest players ever, including Shaquille O’Neal and Wilt Chamberlain.
According to his father, though, Simmons’ historic rise in the NBA is largely due to his childhood Down Under.
HUNTER LINKS
Simmons was born in Melbourne but spent most of his childhood in Newcastle.
Dave has fond memories of the Steel City providing Ben with the perfect upbringing.
“Some of our best times as a family were in Newcastle — I love that town,” he said.
“It was great for the kids, learning and playing sport.
“It was a smaller town compared to Melbourne, but it had the same type of quality, in terms of coaching and basketball programs.
“The town also gave us the opportunity to have a real off-season where you went to the beach and did other things.
“We really enjoyed that as a family. We could play basketball and in the off-season we could put the sneakers away and head down to the beach.
“Playing all the different sports, including AFL, has also helped him. I think his success now is a combination of a lot of different things and I give Ben a lot of credit for evolving his game. But growing up in Newcastle was a good solid base for him to go from there.”
TEAM FIRST
For a 21-year-old rookie, Simmons is incredibly selfless with his pinpoint passing and razor-sharp vision.
It’s a team-first mentality that has helped him rack up the kind of assist and rebound numbers veterans would envy.
Talk to Dave, and Ben’s ability to make others look better is no coincidence.
“He has always had it because that was part of the coaching when he was younger,” he said.
“In junior basketball you have a lot of kids who are coaches’ favourites who get to shoot and play all the time, but we told Ben we wanted him to play the game the right way.
“We are not concerned if he scores the points. If someone else is open, pass the ball.
“That’s the best way to play the game and from that Ben has progressed because he has started from a great base.
“He has kept those important parts as cornerstones to his game.”
MULTI-SKILLED
There is a reason Simmons has the ability to pass and lay-up with both hands.
As a kid in Newcastle, Dave devoted endless hours encouraging Ben to practice with his right and left.
“That was just me challenging him,” he said.
“I mean, I was doing it with my granddaughter the other day and she is four.
“She was throwing the ball to the dog with her right hand, so I asked her to use her left hand and she did it.
“Kids are able to do lots of things if we allow them to. I’ll make them only use their right hand and see how they go.
“I did that with Ben from a young age, but I also did it with all my kids, so I made sure everyone could dribble with both hands.”
WISDOM
Dave couldn’t be happier with Ben’s blistering start to his NBA career.
But he has been equally impressed with his maturity.
Especially when dealing with the constant media attention, which included a documentary on Simmons’ journey from Australia to the NBA draft.
“When the doco first happened I wasn’t too comfortable with cameras being in Ben’s face and at practice,” Dave Simmons said.
“I always thought it would have an impact on him in some way, but as a young man he was able to handle that pressure.
“He was mic’d up and playing games and because of that it is now a lot easier for him.
“Looking back that was a great experience for what was to come.”
LEBRON CONNECTION
It’s never easy being a rookie in the NBA, but Simmons has an all-time great mentor in LeBron James.
Dubbed “Big Brother”, James is one of Ben’s closest confidants.
The pair met at a basketball clinic in Las Vegas when Simmons was in high school. Today, they share the same management company and floor as rivals.
Dave believes his son’s friendship with James — a three-time NBA champion and future Hall of Famer — has been crucial to his success.
“Ben was blown away when he first got to meet LeBron,” he said.
“He got a real buzz out of working alongside one of the world’s best players.
“Ben has a great deal of respect for him, but now he has to compete against him.
“LeBron is like a big brother that looks after him and someone he can go to for advice at any time.
“It is interesting how that has all come full circle.”
BROWN FACTOR
Simmons has been surrounded by positive influences, none as important as Philadelphia coach Brett Brown.
Dave Simmons built a close rapport with Brown when he was an assistant coach at the Melbourne Tigers from 1988 to 1993.
Now the former Boomers coach is rebuilding the 76ers with Ben Simmons as the cornerstone.
It’s a twist of fate that Dave is rapt to see become reality.
“It is an interesting situation that Ben has a coach that is very familiar with him and his family — stuff like that just doesn’t happen,” he said.
“Brett was involved with me as a coach and then some 30 years later here he is coaching my son.
“It has given Brett an insight into the type of person that Ben might be — knowing that he is from Australia.
“That probably makes his job a little bit easier, in terms of relating to Ben.
“It’s also great for Ben to know that he is being coached by someone that the family knows.
“Most players that get drafted into the NBA are meeting their coach for the first time, but Brett has a headstart on everyone having known Ben for a long time.”
FAMILY FIRST
After temporarily returning to Australia last year after a foot injury denied Simmons a rookie season, Dave and wife Julie have moved to Philadelphia to support their son.
“But we don’t live with Ben,” he said. “We are close, but not too close.
“Being his first season, we wanted to be here to support him for whatever he needs.
“It’s not that he needs us, but it’s good to have family around to share the experience.
“We are very proud.”