View source for Lionel Simmons

{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1968)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name            = Lionel Simmons
| image           = 
| width           = 
| caption         = 
| height_ft       = 6
| height_in       = 7
| weight_lb       = 210
| birth_date      = {{birth date and age|1968|11|14}}
| birth_place     = [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| death_date      = 
| death_place     = 
| high_school     = [[South Philadelphia High School|South Philadelphia]]<br />(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
| college         = [[La Salle Explorers men's basketball|La Salle]] (1986–1990)
| draft_year      = 1990
| draft_round     = 1
| draft_pick      = 7
| draft_team      = [[Sacramento Kings]]
| career_start    = 1990
| career_end      = 1997
| career_number   = 22
| career_position = [[Small forward]]
| years1          = {{nbay|1990|start}}–{{nbay|1996|end}}
| team1           = [[Sacramento Kings]]
| highlights      = 
* [[NBA All-Rookie First Team]] ({{nbay|1990|end}})
* [[List of U.S. men's college basketball national player of the year awards|National college player of the year]] (1990)
* Consensus first-team [[NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|All-American]] ([[1990 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|1990]])
* Consensus second-team All-American ([[1989 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|1989]])
* Third-team All-American – [[United Press International|UPI]] ([[1988 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans|1988]])
* 3× [[Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year|MAAC Player of the Year]] (1988–1990)
* No. 22 [[La Salle Explorers men's basketball#Retired numbers|retired by La Salle Explorers]]
| stats_league    = NBA
| stat1label      = [[Point (basketball)|Points]]
| stat1value      = 5,833 (12.8 ppg)
| stat2label      = [[Rebound (basketball)|Rebounds]]
| stat2value      = 2,833 (4.5 rpg)
| stat3label      = [[Assist (basketball)|Assists]]
| stat3value      = 1,498 (3.3 apg)
| CBBASKHOF_year  = 2016
| medal_templates = 
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Basketball]]}}
{{MedalCountry|{{flagu|United States}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIBA Americas Championship]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[1989 Tournament of the Americas|1989 Mexico City]] | [[United States national basketball team|Team competition]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIBA Under-19 World Championship|FIBA U19 World Championship]]}}
{{MedalSilver| [[1987 FIBA Under-19 World Championship|1987 Bormio]] | [[United States national basketball team|Team competition]]}}
}}
'''Lionel James''' "'''L-Train'''" '''Simmons''' (born November 14, 1968) is an [[Americans|American]] former professional [[basketball]] player.

==Early life==
Simmons led [[South Philadelphia High School]] to a [[Philadelphia Public League]] boys' championship in 1986, getting an MVP award in the process.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southwestphillyreview.com/view_article.php?id%3D7748 |title=L-Train pulls into town - Nov 13, 2008 - South Philly Review &#124; News, opinion, arts, food, real estate and sports in South Philadelphia |access-date=2009-03-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716112946/http://www.southwestphillyreview.com/view_article.php?id=7748 |archive-date=2011-07-16 }}</ref> He was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.phillyhall.org/content.asp?page=1&item=230&param=2|title = Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame}}</ref>

==College career==
Simmons was a 6'7" [[small forward]] from [[La Salle University]], where he won the [[Naismith College Player of the Year]] and [[John R. Wooden Award]] as a senior. Simmons is fifth in all-time [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] career points with 3,217 and trails only [[Pete Maravich]], [[Antoine Davis]], [[Freeman Williams]] and [[Chris Clemons (basketball)|Chris Clemons]]. Simmons became the first player in NCAA history to score more than 3,000 points and pull down more than 1,100 rebounds.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.phillyhall.org/content.asp?param%3D2%26page%3D8%26item%3D221 |title=Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=2009-03-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727173803/http://www.phillyhall.org/content.asp?param=2&page=8&item=221 |archive-date=2011-07-27 }}</ref> He holds the NCAA Basketball record for most consecutive games scoring in double figures with 115.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.phillyhall.org/inductee_profile.asp?ind%3D218 |title=Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame |access-date=2009-03-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090905041323/http://www.phillyhall.org/inductee_profile.asp?ind=218 |archive-date=2009-09-05 }}</ref> He led the Explorers to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances (1988–90).<ref>http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/34383869.html {{Dead link|date=February 2022}}</ref> Simmons was Player of the Year in the [[Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference]] for three years. He was a four-time First Team All Big 5 selection and won the [[Robert V. Geasey Trophy]] as Big 5 MVP three times. During his career, the Explorers had a 100–31 record.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lasalle.edu/advancement/alumni/group.php?section=assoc&type=uc&page=athletes&id=545 |title=La Salle University : Alumni |access-date=2009-03-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527171112/http://www.lasalle.edu/advancement/alumni/group.php?section=assoc&type=uc&page=athletes&id=545 |archive-date=2010-05-27 }}</ref> Simmons was inducted into the [[La Salle University]] Hall of Athletes in 1995. Simmons was inducted into the Big 5 Hall of Fame in 1996.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.philadelphiabig5.org/hallfame/pbg5-hallfame.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=2009-05-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20090525134825/http://www.philadelphiabig5.org/hallfame/pbg5-hallfame.html |archive-date=2009-05-25 }}</ref>

===College statistics===
''Source''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://digitalcommons.lasalle.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1039&context=basketball_media_guides|title=La Salle University Basketball 1990-91|year=1990|page=46|access-date=December 27, 2019}}</ref>
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| align="left" | [[1986–87 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1986–87]]
| align="left" | [[1986–87 La Salle Explorers men's basketball team|La Salle]]
| 33 || 33 || 38.0 || '''.526''' || .333 || '''.763''' || 9.8 || 1.8 || 1.6 || 1.4 || 20.3
|-
| align="left" | [[1987–88 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1987–88]]
| align="left" | [[1987–88 La Salle Explorers men's basketball team|La Salle]]
| 34 || 34 || '''39.0''' || .485 || .250 || .757 || '''11.4''' || 2.5 || '''2.1''' || '''2.3''' || 23.3
|-
| align="left" | [[1988–89 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1988–89]]
| align="left" | [[1988–89 La Salle Explorers men's basketball team|La Salle]]
| 32 || 32 || 38.9 || .487 || .375 || .711 || '''11.4''' || '''3.0''' || 1.7 || 1.9 || '''28.4'''
|-
| align="left" | [[1989–90 NCAA Division I men's basketball season|1989–90]]
| align="left" | [[1989–90 La Salle Explorers men's basketball team|La Salle]]
| 32 || 32 || 38.1 || .513 || '''.477''' || .661 || 11.1 || 3.6 || 1.9 || 2.0 || 26.5
|-
| align="left" | '''Career'''
| align="left" |
| 131 || 131 || 38.5 || .501 || .415 || .722 || 10.9 || 2.7 || 1.8 || 1.9 || 24.6
|-
{{s-end}}

==Professional career==
Simmons was selected by the [[Sacramento Kings]] with the seventh pick of the [[1990 NBA draft]]. On March 23, 1991, Simmons scored a career-high 42 points in a 100–95 loss to the [[Phoenix Suns]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199103230SAC.html|title=Phoenix Suns at Sacramento Kings Box Score, March 23, 1991|publisher=Basketball-Reference|access-date=July 2, 2020}}</ref> He was the runner-up to [[Derrick Coleman]] for the 1991 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Simmons was NBA Player of the Week the week after the All-Star break during his rookie season.

He played seven seasons for the Kings, scoring 5,833 career points, until prematurely retiring in 1997 due to chronic injuries. He earned more than $21 million in a pro career that lasted seven seasons.

==See also==
*[[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball players with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds]]
*[[List of NCAA Division I men's basketball career scoring leaders]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/simmoli01.html Career Stats]

{{Navboxes
|title =Articles related to Lionel Simmons
|list =
{{United States squad 1989 FIBA Americas Championship}}
{{Naismith Player of the Year men}}
{{Wooden Player of the Year men}}
{{Oscar Robertson Trophy}}
{{Adolph Rupp Trophy}}
{{NABC Player of the Year}}
{{Associated Press College Basketball Player of the Year}}
{{UPI College Basketball Player of the Year}}
{{Robert V. Geasey Trophy}}
{{1989 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans}}
{{1990 NCAA Men's Basketball Consensus All-Americans}}
{{Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year navbox}}
{{1990 NBA draft}}
|state =autocollapse
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Simmons, Lionel}}
[[Category:1968 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:All-American college men's basketball players]]
[[Category:American men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Basketball players from Philadelphia]]
[[Category:La Salle Explorers men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Sacramento Kings draft picks]]
[[Category:Sacramento Kings players]]
[[Category:Small forwards]]
[[Category:South Philadelphia High School alumni]]
[[Category:United States men's national basketball team players]]