Connie Simmons
Connie Simmons | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | April 15, 1989 (aged 64) |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 1946–1956 |
Cornelius Leo "Connie" Simmons (March 15, 1925 – April 15, 1989) was an American professional basketball athlete originating from Newark, New Jersey.
Standing 6 feet 8 inches tall and playing as a forward/center, Simmons hailed from Flushing High School in New York City. He competed for ten seasons (1946–56) in the National Basketball Association, representing teams such as the Boston Celtics, Baltimore Bullets, New York Knicks, Syracuse Nationals, and Rochester Royals. Over his career, he maintained averages of 9.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Simmons was instrumental in securing two league titles: with the 1948 Bullets and the 1955 Nationals. Notably, he was the second individual to join the NBA without attending college, following Tony Kappen.
His brother was professional athlete Johnny Simmons, who played both basketball and baseball.
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946–47 | Boston | 60 | – | .320 | .677 | – | 1.0 | 10.3 |
| 1947–48 | Boston | 32 | – | .295 | .593 | – | .5 | 7.8 |
| 1947–48† | Baltimore | 13 | – | .302 | .556 | – | .5 | 10.6 |
| 1948–49 | Baltimore | 60 | – | .377 | .683 | – | 1.9 | 13.0 |
| Template:Nbay | New York | 60 | – | .331 | .662 | – | 1.7 | 11.3 |
| Template:Nbay | New York | 66 | – | .374 | .702 | 6.5 | 1.8 | 9.2 |
| Template:Nbay | New York | 66 | 23.6 | .378 | .689 | 7.1 | 1.8 | 9.5 |
| Template:Nbay | New York | 65 | 26.3 | .377 | .732 | 7.0 | 2.0 | 11.2 |
| Template:Nbay | New York | 72 | 27.9 | .358 | .689 | 6.7 | 1.8 | 10.0 |
| Template:Nbay | Baltimore / Syracuse | 36 | 23.9 | .357 | .632 | 6.1 | 1.7 | 9.6 |
| Template:Nbay | 1955–56 Rochester Royals season | 68 | 13.3 | .336 | .605 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 5.4 |
| Career | 598 | 22.9 | .351 | .678 | 6.2 | 1.6 | 9.8 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948† | Baltimore | 11 | – | .371 | .744 | – | 1.0 | 17.1 |
| 1949 | Baltimore | 3 | – | .351 | .759 | – | 2.3 | 16.0 |
| New York | 5 | – | .275 | .952 | – | 1.4 | 8.4 | |
| New York | 14 | – | .364 | .618 | 6.7 | 1.7 | 10.9 | |
| New York | 14 | 30.5 | .464 | .764 | 7.7 | 0.9 | 15.9 | |
| New York | 11 | 31.0 | 0.367 | 0.729 | 7.5 | 2.3 | 13.2 | |
| New York | 4 | 27.8 | 0.323 | 0.694 | 8.3 | 2.5 | 11.3 | |
| colspan=2 Career | 62 | 30.3 | 0.__382__ | 0.__731__ | 7.__4__ | 1.__5__ | 13.__6__ |