Walt Simon
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 1, 1939 undrafted |
| Position | Small forward |
| Number | 4, 2 |
| Career history | |
| 1961–1967 | Allentown Jets |
| 1967–1970 | New Jersey Americans / New York Nets |
| 1970–1974 | Kentucky Colonels |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Walter John Simon (December 1, 1939 – October 10, 1997) was an American
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 for the Allentown Jets
before moving to the ABA. In the Eastern League, Simon was named league MVP in 1964 and averaged 24.4 points and 9.4 rebounds per game over his 167-game EPBL career - leading the league in scoring once (1964–65) and finishing second in scoring twice (1963–64 and 1966–67).
After retiring from basketball, he went on to work for
Kentucky Fried Chicken.[1]
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.[2]