Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality (VAMR)-based sports simulators may help facilitate learning and training for students confined within closed/cramped spaces (e.g., during a pandemic), and allow disabled or disadvantaged players to participate in the said sports alongside non-disabled peers. This work explores the development of a VAMR basketball simulator that uses hand gestures to accurately mimic the real-world performance of basketball moves such as throwing and shooting. Furthermore, the simulator is developed simultaneously for both head-mounted (VR/AR headsets) and hand-held (smartphone/tablet) form factors, facilitating deployment of the same simulator over multiple hardware configurations. This eliminates the need to force students to use one platform for online learning, and would also allow for future real-time networked multi-user support across different form-factor devices. This model also paves the way for future user studies comparing the efficacy of head-mounted and hand-held modes for simulating basketball and other sports in VAMR.