Kenneth "KJ" Simpson Jr. (born August 8, 2002) is an American basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Colorado Buffaloes.
| No. 25 – Charlotte Hornets | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | August 8, 2002 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Listed weight | 189 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Chaminade College Prep (Los Angeles, California) |
| College | Colorado (2021–2024) |
| NBA draft | 2024: 2nd round, 42nd overall pick |
| Selected by the Charlotte Hornets | |
| Playing career | 2024–present |
| Career history | |
| 2024–present | Charlotte Hornets |
| 2024–present | →Greensboro Swarm |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
Early life and high school career
Simpson grew up in Panorama City, Los Angeles and attended Chaminade College Preparatory School.[1] He was rated a four-star recruit and initially committed to playing college basketball for Arizona.[2] After Arizona head coach Sean Miller was fired, Simpson requested and was granted a release from his National Letter of Intent and reopened his recruitment.[3] He ultimately signed to play at Colorado.[4]
College career
Simpson was named to the Pac-12 Conference All-Freshman team during his first season playing for the Colorado Buffaloes after averaging 7.4 points per game and also leading the team in total assists and steals.[5] He was named second-team All-Pac-12 after averaging 15.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game as a sophomore.[6]
As a junior, Simpson was named to the first-team All-Pac-12, averaging a team-high 19.7 points per game and shooting 43% from three-point range this season.[7] In the first round of the 2024 NCAA tournament against No. 7 Florida, Simpson hit a game-winning jumper with less than two seconds left to secure a 102–100 victory.[8]
Professional career
Charlotte Hornets (2024–present)
On June 27, 2024, Simpson was selected with the 42nd overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2024 NBA Draft.[9] On July 7, 2024, Simpson signed a two-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets.[10]
Career statistics
| 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 |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Colorado | 32 | 1 | 21.3 | .377 | .254 | .770 | 2.5 | 2.7 | .8 | .1 | 7.4 |
| 2022–23 | Colorado | 29 | 28 | 31.8 | .396 | .276 | .817 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 1.5 | .2 | 15.9 |
| 2023–24 | Colorado | 37 | 37 | 35.1 | .475 | .434 | .876 | 5.8 | 4.9 | 1.6 | .1 | 19.7 |
| Career | 98 | 66 | 29.6 | .429 | .347 | .834 | 4.3 | 3.9 | 1.3 | .1 | 14.6 | |