Connie Simmons

Cornelius "Connie" Simmons (March 15, 1925 – April 15, 1989) was a professional basketball player born in Newark, New Jersey. A 6'8" forward/center out of Flushing High School in New York City, Simmons played ten NBA seasons from 1946 to 1956 with the Boston Celtics, Baltimore Bullets, New York Knicks, Syracuse Nationals, and Rochester Royals. He averaged 9.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game over his career and won two league championships — with the 1948 Baltimore Bullets and the 1955 Syracuse Nationals. He was notably the second player to enter the NBA without college experience, following Tony Kappen.