Miles Julian Simon (born November 21, 1975) is an American basketball coach and former player who recently served as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). As a player, Simon was the Most Outstanding Player of the 1997 NCAA tournament, leading the Arizona Wildcats to the national championship. As a professional, he played briefly in the NBA and then for several domestic leagues around the world.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 21, 1975 Stockholm, Sweden |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Listed weight | 202 lb (92 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California) |
| College | Arizona (1994–1998) |
| NBA draft | 1998: 2nd round, 42nd overall pick |
| Selected by the Orlando Magic | |
| Playing career | 1999–2004 |
| Position | Shooting guard |
| Number | 34, 7, 18 |
| Coaching career | 2005–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 1998–1999 | Orlando Magic |
| 2000 | Maccabi Ra'anana |
| 2000 | Hapoel Holon |
| 2000–2001 | Basket Livorno |
| 2001–2002 | Dakota Wizards |
| 2002 | Varese |
| 2002–2003 | Dakota Wizards |
| 2004 | Tuborg Pilsener |
| 2004 | Reggiana |
| As coach: | |
| 2005–2008 | Arizona (assistant) |
| 2017–2021 | Los Angeles Lakers (assistant) |
| 2021–2023 | South Bay Lakers |
| 2023–2024 | Phoenix Suns (assistant) |
| Career highlights and awards | |
As player:
As assistant coach: | |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Early life and college career
editSimon was born in Stockholm to an American father and a Norwegian mother.[1] He played guard for the University of Arizona Wildcats men's basketball team,[2] where he formed a formidable backcourt duo with future NBA point guard Mike Bibby. He was named the Most Outstanding Player in the 1997 NCAA tournament in which Arizona defeated three #1 seeded teams University of Kansas, University of North Carolina, and University of Kentucky in overtime to win the national championship.[3][4] Simon had two 30-point performances during the 1997 NCAA tournament, including the championship game.[5] In 2008, he was inducted into the Pac-12 Hall of Honor.[6]
Professional career
editAfter college, Simon played five games with the Orlando Magic during the 1999 NBA season.[7] He played for two seasons for the Dakota Wizards of the CBA, whom he led to a CBA championship in 2002.[2] Simon earned enough awards and honors in 2001–2002 to make him the most decorated player in CBA history. He received honors as Player of the Week four times. He was named the CBA Newcomer of the Year, the CBA MVP, and the Playoff MVP.[2] He also holds the CBA record for most free throws made in a row at 60.
Post-playing career
editIn 2005, Simon was announced as an assistant coach under his collegiate head coach Lute Olson at his alma mater winning the conference championship and reaching the Elite Eight in March 2005. He remained an assistant coach until May 2008,[2] when it was announced by the Arizona athletics department that his coaching contract would not be renewed.[8]
Simon later worked with ESPN as an analyst after his time with Arizona ended.
On June 27, 2017, he joined the Los Angeles Lakers as an assistant coach.[9]
In 2021, he was named the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers' development team, the South Bay Lakers, in the NBA G League.[10]
On June 17, 2023, it was reported that Simon was hired as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns under head coach Frank Vogel.[11] The hiring, alongside the rest of the Suns' newest coaching staff, was made official on June 21, 2023. Simon would later be fired alongside the rest of Frank Vogel's coaching staff (outside of David Fizdale) on May 12, 2024, following the replacement of Vogel with Mike Budenholzer.[12]
References
edit- ^ Detroit’s Mr. Do-It-All. SLAM Online. Retrieved on December 16, 2009.
- ^ a b c d "Miles Simon: Assistant Coach". arizonaathletics.com. August 17, 2006. Archived from the original on October 27, 2007. Retrieved May 10, 2008.
- ^ "Final Four Most Outstanding Players". cbs.sportsline.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2008. Retrieved May 10, 2008.
- ^ "Miles Simon Interview 2012". Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved November 28, 2012.
- ^ "NCAA Tournament, Official Basketball Box Score" (PDF). 2021-22 Arizona Men's Basketball Media Guide. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 14, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- ^ "Arizona basketball: 54 Wildcats legends enshrined in UA Sports Hall of Fame". Arizona Daily Star. July 20, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
- ^ http://www.nba.com/playerfile/miles_simon/ NBA Player Profile
- ^ Rivera, Steve (May 2, 2008). "Simon out as UA hoops assistant". Tucson Citizen. Retrieved May 10, 2008.
- ^ "Lakers Add Miles Simon to Coaching Staff". NBA.com. June 27, 2017. Retrieved November 12, 2017.
- ^ "South Bay Lakers Name Miles Simon as Head Coach". OurSports Central. September 1, 2021.
- ^ "Phoenix Suns are adding South Bay Lakers head coach Miles Simon…". June 17, 2023.
- ^ Voita, John (May 12, 2024). "Remaining coaching assistants will not be retained by Mike Budneholzer". Bright Side Of The Sun. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
External links
edit- Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference