Ralph Simpson

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Not to be confused with Ralph Sampson, who played in the NBA from 1983 to 1992

Ralph Derek Simpson (born August 10, 1949 in Detroit, Michigan) is a retired American basketball player. He played professionally in the ABA and NBA from 1970 to 1980.

Simpson, a 6'5" guard/forward, was a star at Detroit's Pershing High School, where he teamed with Spencer Haywood to win the Michigan state championship in 1967. After two strong years at Michigan State University, he signed a professional contract with the ABA's Denver Rockets (later Denver Nuggets), and he would represent the franchise in five ABA All-Star games. Simpson had his finest season in 1971–1972, in which he averaged 27.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. After the ABA merged with the NBA in 1976, Simpson joined the Detroit Pistons, but his level of production dropped significantly (from 18 points per game in 1975–1976 to 11 points per game in 1976–1977), and after one-and-a-half seasons, he returned to the Denver Nuggets (who were one of the ABA teams who had joined the NBA). However, he only averaged 5.5 points during his second tenure with the Nuggets, and after two more seasons as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, he retired in 1980. Simpson scored 11,785 combined ABA/NBA points in his ten-year career.