Walt Simon

❧

Wikipedia

Walt Simon
Personal information
Born(1939-12-01)December 1, 1939
Delcambre, Louisiana, U.S.
DiedOctober 10, 1997(1997-10-10) (aged 57)
Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High schoolCommerce
(New York City, New York)
CollegeBenedict (1957–1961)
NBA draft1961: undrafted
PositionSmall forward
Number4, 2
Career history
1961–1967Allentown Jets
1967–1970New Jersey Americans / New York Nets
1970–1974Kentucky Colonels
Career highlights
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Walter John Simon (December 1, 1939 – October 10, 1997) was an American basketball player. A 6'6" small forward from Benedict College, he played seven seasons (1967–1974) in the American Basketball Association for the New Jersey Americans/New York Nets and Kentucky Colonels. He appeared in the 1969 ABA All-Star Game, and he scored 6,414 career points. Simon is the only alumnus of Benedict College to play professionally at the ABA or NBA level.

Initially undrafted by the NBA out of college, Simon starred for six seasons in the minor league Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL) for the Allentown Jets before moving to the ABA. In the EBPL, Simon was named league MVP in 1964 and averaged 24.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per game over his 167-game EPBL career[1] - leading the league in scoring once (1964–65) and finishing second in scoring twice (1963–64 and 1966–67). He won EPBL championships with the Jets in 1962,[2] 1963[3] and 1965.[4]

After retiring from basketball, he went on to work for John Y. Brown, Jr. (who had owned the Kentucky Colonels with his wife, Ellie Brown) at Kentucky Fried Chicken.[5] Simon became the first black Vice President of a Fortune 500 Company.

Born in Delcambre, Louisiana, Simon left a wife, Marge Simon, and three children: Michael, Chris, and Geanai.[6]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

ABA

Source[7]

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1967–68 New Jersey 7832.3.453.067.6356.72.713.3
1968–69 New York 6840.4.440.222.6958.13.421.1
1969–70 New York 8133.3.441.050.7495.93.614.3
1970–71 Kentucky 8416.8.474.091.6413.81.97.7
1971–72 Kentucky 6716.6.524.100.6993.52.08.9
1972–73 Kentucky 8329.0.482.176.7494.84.0.8.312.2
1973–74 Kentucky 8014.6.474.154.8382.61.5.5.16.6
Career 54126.0.462.133.7045.02.7.7.211.9
All-Star 1121.0.727–.6674.01.018.0

Playoffs

Year Team GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1970 New York 731.7.500.000.8217.63.014.4
1971 Kentucky 1920.3.452.000.6945.12.79.2
1972 Kentucky 616.5.410–.8752.0.56.5
1973 Kentucky 1933.6.444.000.8714.94.211.1
1974 Kentucky 811.3.400.0001.0001.1.9.5.43.8
Career 5924.3.449.000.7884.52.7.5.49.4

References

  1. ↑ "Walt Simon minor league basketball statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved February 16, 2025.
  2. ↑ "1961-62 Allentown Jets Statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  3. ↑ "1962-63 Allentown Jets Statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  4. ↑ "1964-65 Allentown Jets Statistics". Stats Crew. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  5. ↑ Jet magazine, August 29, 1974, Vol. 46, No. 23, p.26
  6. ↑ Walt Simon, 56, Star Player in the A.B.A.
  7. ↑ "Walt Simon ABA stats". Basketball Reference. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 6, 2025.