30 NBA Histories: Jonathon Simmons, the Houston barber

jonathon simmons, the barber of houston

In September 2013, more than 60 semi-pro players showed up at Concordia University to participate in tryouts that the Austin Toros of the D-League had organized for for the next season. All the participants had to pay 150 dollars to be able to prove themselves before the technical staff of the Bulls and demonstrate that they deserved a place in their roster. According to Ken McDonald, then the head coach of the Austin franchise, the talent on hand that day ranged from "guys I can beat 1-on-1 to guys like Jon."

Jonathon stood out above the rest and earned an invitation from the Bulls to participate in their training-camp that preseason. Little by little he was surprising everyone around him until he earned a place on the final roster the night of the first game of the season. Paying to join a team is not the most common thing, even less dreaming of reaching the NBA and without having been selected by any team in the Draft, but Jon was clear, he had a lot to teach. Barely two years later, Jonathon Simmons made his NBA debut with the San Antonio Spurs.

getting ahead in houston

Jonathon Calvin Simmons was born on September 14, 1989 in Houston, Texas. Son of LaTonya Simmons, his mother would always be one of his greatest references and supports. His future was always uncertain, from a very young age. Jon was going to class at the M.B. Smiley Institute, an institution known in Houston as "The Dropout Factory", or the Dropout Factory, due to its extremely high dropout rate, close to 40%. LaTonya supported Jonathon and his siblings on her United Airlines ticket salary at the airport and with the help of the little ones' grandmother.

Simmons was about to be one of the many young people who did not finish High School, especially after becoming a father at 17 and again at 18, but his sudden growth made him continue studying, always at the hands of the basketball, made him believe in a better future. At 1.90m tall at the age of 17, Simmons began to receive attention from various university programs on the national scene such as Marquette or Texas A&M. Despite this, academic difficulties forced him to take the path of Junior College, an institution similar to professional training. Paris Junior College, in Paris, Texas, was Jonathon's chosen destination. In Paris he played his freshman season averaging 13.2 points and obtaining All-Conference Honors.

For his sophomore year Jonathon transferred to Midland College where he maintained his scoring average and finished as an All-Region selection in the 2009-2010 season. In November of that same year, Simmons signed a letter of commitment with the University of Houston but had to miss the 2010-2011 season due to NCAA rules on academic transfers. In his junior year with the Cougars, Jon led the Houston program and finished as the 8th leading scorer in his conference with nearly 15 points per game, along with 5 rebounds and 2 assists. After finishing the season, Simmons decided to appear in the NBA Draft.

Simmons went unnoticed the night of the Draft and no team chose him for their roster despite having done numerous work-outs with different franchises in the league. With no one to offer him career opportunities, Jonathon had to look for options for the future, a way to support his four children and help his family. The ABL Draft would be his destination in January 2013.

a dream instead of money

On January 13, Simmons was selected in the first round of the ABL, the American Basketball League that was then taking its first steps. The ABL, a semi-pro competition that spanned just three seasons, was the first to offer Simmons a sense of belonging to a team and a competition. Chosen by the Sugar Land Legends, Jonathon averaged 36 points in 16 games played in the ABL. After finishing his season with the Legends, Simmons decided it was time to try again and despite his financial difficulties, he managed to get the $150 that allowed him to participate in the Austin Toros trials.

With the Bulls, Simmons averaged 10 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in his first season in the D-League. During that year, Jon considered putting basketball aside and returning to Houston to get a job as a barber that would pay the bills and help support his family, but with the support of his family, he decided to keep trying in basketball. development. His second year would be much better and after switching to point guard, Simmons began to develop other facets of his game. He averaged 15 points, 4.3 rebounds and nearly 4 assists in helping Austin reach the Western Conference finals.

After finishing the 2014-2015 season, Simmons participated in the Orlando Summer League with the Brooklyn Nets, without having had many opportunities other than teammates' injuries. Although Jon was ready to continue working in the Las Vegas Summer League with the Nets, he received a call from his agent to tell him that the Spurs had signed him to play with them in the summer tournament. With 23 points in the final to win the title and Summer League MVP honors, Simmons finally saw the light, his time was about to come.

After his triumph in Las Vegas, everything happened very quickly according to Simmons. The Spurs offered him a two-year contract (the second not guaranteed) and an emotional Jonathon accepted with immense happiness; his dream seemed to finally come true. On November 14, 2015, Jonathon Simmons made his NBA debut with the Spurs. Despite a difficult start, in December he was already entering Gregg Popovich's rotation and at the end of January he was defending Steph Curry in the bay.

the nba makes room for him

Simmons' first NBA season was filled with movement. Assigned to the D-League, recovered by San Antonio, assigned again and so on all year. Jonathon played in 55 regular season games, averaging 15 minutes and scoring 10+ points in eleven of those games. "It's very important that he was down there (in the D-League) for a long time and never lost hope. It says a lot about him," declared Popovich, when asked about the rookie who was gaining minutes exponentially.

Simmons was a major player in the Spurs' playoffs last year, gaining responsibilities after Kawhi's injury and scoring 18 points in a win over Houston that allowed San Antonio to advance to the conference finals. In that match, Simmons defended James Harden who finished the match with 2/11 shooting from the field and 6 losses, a fact that made Jonathon's name sound in many specialized media. At the end of the season, the Spurs offered Simmons a qualifying offer but two weeks later withdrew it, allowing Jon to become an unrestricted free agent.

In July 2017, Shams Charania announced on Twitter that Simmons had signed a 3-year, $20 million deal with the Orlando Magic. Asked why he was leaving San Antonio, a franchise focused on winning and developing players, Jonathon did not hesitate to explain: "First I have to think about mine and I needed a contract that would allow me to support my family," he declared last summer. But the money was not the only reason and it is that Simmons was looking for a team where he could play a more important role, so much so that he even rejected an offer from the Cavaliers that came directly from LeBron James.

"I spoke to James on the phone and he told me that they wanted me in Cleveland, with them. I told him that I didn't want to play with him but against him. I want to play against the elite so that, in a couple of years, I'll be where they are." they are now. LeBron understood it and that says a lot about him," Simmons said. Orlando's offer was good financially and gave Jonathon an important role in Vogel's scheme, so the player did not think twice and headed for Florida.

Now at 29, Simmons' career will unfold in Orlando. Despite his age, this is only his third season in the NBA but the player has found his role with the Magic. This season he has enjoyed almost 30 minutes per game, averaging 14 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. Little by little, Jon is finding his game and contributing what his team needs at all times. Not by settling in the league has he stopped having bad times. In September of last year, when Hurricane Harvey hit Houston, Simmons found himself stuck in a house with nearly 20 other people and without food for several days. After the storm passed, and touched by the generosity of many of Houston's public figures, he decided it was his responsibility, too; he is not a barber, he is an NBA player and he should set an example. There is no doubt, we still have a lot to see from Simmons.

Author's Notes:

This article belongs to the series of 30 Players - 30 Weeks - 30 Stories that is published every Monday in Solobasket:

You can also read the series of 18 ACB Stories on Solobasket.