Ralph Simpson
Ralph Simpson | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 10, 1949 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player (retired) |
| Years active | 1970–1980 |
| Known for | ABA and NBA basketball player, five-time ABA All-Star |
Ralph Derek Simpson (born August 10, 1949) is a retired American basketball athlete who played professionally in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) during the decade spanning 1970 to 1980.
Career
Standing 6 feet 6 inches tall and playing as a guard/forward, Simpson distinguished himself at Detroit's Pershing High School, where he partnered with Spencer Haywood to secure the Michigan state title in 1967. He opted not to participate in the tryouts for the 1968 U.S. Olympic team. After two productive seasons at Michigan State University, he signed with the ABA's Denver Rockets—the team that would later become the Denver Nuggets—and earned selection to five ABA All-Star games representing the franchise.
His most outstanding campaign came in 1971–1972, when he averaged 27.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per contest. Following the ABA–NBA merger in 1976, Simpson transitioned to the Detroit Pistons, although his scoring average declined from 18 points per game in the 1975–1976 season to 11 points per game in 1976–1977. After spending one and a half seasons with Detroit, he returned to the now NBA-affiliated Denver Nuggets, where his scoring dipped to an average of 5.5 points per game. He concluded his professional playing career with periods at the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, retiring in 1980.
Over his ten-year tenure, Simpson amassed a total of 11,785 points across both ABA and NBA play, holding the franchise record for most points scored (9,953) during the Nuggets' ABA era.
Personal life
Simpson currently lives in Denver, Colorado. His daughter is acclaimed soul vocalist and Grammy Award recipient India Arie. In a podcast released in 2025, his former wife alleged that he physically abused both her and their daughter approximately four and a half decades ago.