Player Bio

Anfernee Tyrik Simons, son of Charles and Tameka, was born in 1999 in Longwood, Florida. Named after NBA superstar Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway, Simons graduated from Edgewater High School in 2017 after transferring from Montverde Academy, where he starred as a junior. From Edgewater, he attended IMG Academy and represented the US on the Men's National Under-19 team. After originally committing to play college ball at Louisville, Simons reopened his recruiting period after a coaching change and later declared for the Draft immediately after his post-graduate year at IMG. In doing so, he became the first American drafted out of high school since the league began implementing age restriction policies in 2005. You can follow Simons on Twitter @AnferneeSimons and on Instagram @antsimons. He also runs and maintains a website, theaferneesimons.com, which provides updates on his charity partnerships and sells custom merchandise. Prior to becoming Portland's first-round draft choice in 2018, Anfernee Simons was selected as the 2017 Florida Class 7A Player of the Year at Edgewater High School in Orlando after appearing in 20 games and posting averages of 23.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.5 blocks during his senior season. He then reclassified to the Class of 2018, delaying his college decision for another year. Simons spent a postgraduate year at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida after collecting his high school diploma. Ultimately, he bypassed scholarship offers from top programs across the nation and instead chose to enter the Draft.