| Ralph Simpson | |
| Number: | 44, 10, 32, |
| Position: | Shooting guard / small forward |
| Height Ft: | 6 |
| Height In: | 5 |
| Weight Lb: | 200 |
| Birth Date: | 10 August 1949 |
| Birth Place: | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| High School: |
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| College: | Michigan State (1969–1970) |
| Draft Year: | 1972 |
| Draft Round: | 1 |
| Draft Pick: | 11 |
| Draft Team: | Chicago Bulls |
| Career Start: | 1970 |
| Career End: | 1979 |
| Years1: | 1970–1976 |
| Team1: | Denver Rockets / Nuggets |
| Years2: | – |
| Team2: | Detroit Pistons |
| Years3: | 1978 |
| Team3: | Denver Nuggets |
| Team4: | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Years5: | 1979 |
| Team5: | New Jersey Nets |
| Cyears1: | 1985–1987 |
| Cteam1: | Metro State (assistant) |
| Highlights: | |
| Stats League: | ABA and NBA |
| Stat1label: | Points |
| Stat1value: | 11,785 (16.7 ppg) |
| Stat2label: | Rebounds |
| Stat2value: | 2,616 (3.7 rpg) |
| Stat3label: | Assists |
| Stat3value: | 2,357 (3.3 apg) |
| Bbr: | simpsra01 |
Ralph Derek Simpson (born August 10, 1949) is an American former basketball player. He played professionally in the American Basketball Association (ABA) and National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1970 to 1980.
Simpson, a 6'6" guard/forward, was a star at Detroit's Pershing High School,[1] where he teamed with Spencer Haywood to win the Michigan state championship in 1967.[2] He was offered a tryout for the 1968 United States Olympic team, but turned it down.[3] After two strong years at Michigan State University, he signed a professional contract with the ABA's Denver Rockets (later the 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–NBA merger 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, now one of the ABA teams who had joined the NBA. However, he averaged only 5.5 points during his second tenure with the Nuggets,[4] 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. His 9,953 points were the most for the Nuggets during the team's time in the ABA.
Simpson currently lives in Denver, Colorado. His daughter is Grammy Award-winning soul singer India Arie.