Simisola Shittu Is Appreciative Of The Journey That Led Him To The Orlando Magic

Simisola Shittu appreciates every step of his basketball journey — one that has taken him all over the globe.

The NBA big man was born in England but moved to Canada at a young age. By the time he was entering high school, he lived in the United States. He has played basketball in Vermont, Florida, Illinois, New York, Canada, and Israel all within the last eight years. His path hasn’t taken him exactly where he hoped it would when he was a five-star recruit at Vermont Academy, but Shittu knows his time is coming.

“I continue to make steps in the right direction. And I continue to get better each year,” Shittu shared. “[I] continue to show that, and I will end up having my opportunity and my time.”

Shittu was a special player at the high school level. He was a five-star recruit in Vermont, where he transferred after spending time at Montverde Academy. His rim attacks were impressive, and many scouts were impressed by his motor. He showed athleticism that popped for a point forward type.

His coach at Vermont Academy, Alex Popp, remembers how obvious it was to him that Shittu had NBA-level talent.

“In eighth grade, people were like ‘this guy is a top-five player in the country’,” Popp said. The now-IMG Academy coach was thrilled to have the chance to coach Shittu. “I had to pinch myself.”

The Canadian forward was recruited by numerous colleges, including a few blue blood programs. Ultimately, he decided to play at Vanderbilt University and ended up in a loaded Commodores freshman class that featured other top recruits including Darius Garland and Aaron Nesmith.

Since then, Shittu’s journey has been full of difficult challenges. Just two months after committing to Vanderbilt, he suffered a torn ACL in his right knee. He would miss months and barely recover in time for his first collegiate season.

With the Commodores, things didn’t go according to plan. Garland was injured early in the campaign and the team struggled — they finished just 9-23. Shittu averged 11 points and seven rebounds per game, but his draft stock fell after a difficult year.

He went undrafted in 2019 and has been fighting for a spot in the NBA ever since. The tall forward has spent time within numerous organizations but hasn’t latched on anywhere. He’s had to fight.

But Shittu keeps pushing. He values his journey. “I’m resilient,” he said. “Certain cards don’t fall the right way or anything like that. But at the end of the day, I feel like I’ve just continued to grow from it and gotten better each year.”

That’s clear from the stats. His summer league numbers have improved year over year with different franchises. With the Chicago Bulls, his preseason production jumped significantly from year one to year two. The same growth occurred in the G League. It’s clear that Shittu is still getting better as he learns to embrace his path.

Back in Vermont, Shittu was a fun-loving and confident talent. Popp fondly remembers Shittu taking his abilities to other spots such as lacrosse and soccer. During one snowy day in Saxtons River, Shittu and his friends set up beach chairs to hang out in after class. His personality was admired.

That has continued into his professional career. Shittu keeps in touch with his friends around the league and has reached out to Popp multiple times since his high school days. Relationships have been helpful for the 22-year old throughout his career. “We all help each other at the end of the day,” he said.

That’s crucial in a career like Shittu’s. His career story is still being written, and having others to lean on and bounce questions off of will help him grow.

That’s not all that helps Shittu grow — he credits his faith as a key motivator that has pushed him in his basketball voyage. “I have faith in God and his plans for me,” Shittu said when asked about his inspirations. “There’s obviously going to be highs and lows in a season and in a career. I just feel like I’ve had my highs, I’ve had lows.”

Those lows have molded the four-year pro. “I’ve learned from those lows. Everyone has to go through them at some point. I just feel like I’ve handled it the best way I can and I just continue to move forward,” he said. Going through them pushed Shittu to work harder on his craft.

Getting better and improving guided Shittu to Israel in 2021, where he played for Ironi Hai Motors Ness Ziona. There, he teamed with former NBA guard Wayne Selden and helped the team to a 12-15 record.

Now, the six-foot-ten-inch big man is back in the NBA picture. He played for the Indiana Pacers during summer league play, where he averaged 4.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. The Pacers played a fast style that encouraged players to push the pace after grabbing a rebound, which suited Shittu’s play style well.

“I’ve been doing that my whole career,” he said of the role he played for the Pacers. Shittu was one of the four players who played in each summer league game for the blue and gold.

His successes in Indiana didn’t go unnoticed, and the big man now has a new team — the Orlando Magic. He will reportedly ink a deal with the team ahead of training camp, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

“I’m excited, it’s a good opportunity,” he said of the chance to join the Magic.

Orlando will be Shittu’s third training camp, and he’s hoping to stick with the central Florida squad. The 22-year old identified the organization as a good fit for multiple reasons, but a big factor was that he felt like he and his new teammates have a similar mentality.

“It’s a hungry team, a bunch of hungry guys. And I feel like I’m a hungry guy as well,” he said.

“I want it just as bad as anybody,” he added. That’s been Simisola Shittu’s attitude ever since he sat in beach chairs in Vermont, and he’s hoping his journey since then will help him stick in Orlando.