Ben Simmons swaps NBA hardwood for open seas, wins fishing championship

Ben Simmons finally captured a championship — just not in the sport that defined most of his professional career. This past Sunday, the former NBA player won the Sport Fishing Championship (SFC) Blue Marlin Open in the Bahamas.

Simmons competed as an angler for the South Florida Sails, a club he co-owns.

Simmons said his investment in sport fishing was driven by a longtime passion for the sport. “I have always believed that investing in what you love means you have a responsibility to help move it forward,” Simmons, who last appeared in an NBA game during his lone season with the Los Angeles Clippers, said.

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Los Angeles Clippers guard Ben Simmons plays during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. (Darren Yamashita/Imagn Images)

“Sport fishing has given me incredible experiences, and SFC is creating a platform that treats offshore fishing like the elite sport it is.”

Selected No. 1 overall by Philadelphia in the 2016 NBA Draft, Simmons was traded to Brooklyn in February 2022. He missed the entire 2021-22 season because of a contract dispute with the Sixers and a herniated disk coming to light after arriving with the Nets. Simmons later underwent back surgery following Brooklyn’s playoff exit.

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Since becoming an NBA free agent following the 2024-25 season, Simmons appears to have shifted his focus from basketball to competitive fishing.

Simmons’ ownership stake in the Sails was announced last December. South Florida’s official SFC website lists the three-time NBA All-Star as the franchise’s controlling owner.

South Florida opened the event strong, aided by angler Alex Stanley’s blue marlin release worth 450 points.

Philadelphia 76ers point guard Ben Simmons looks on after Game One of the first round of the 2018 NBA playoffs against the Miami Heat at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 14, 2018. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Stanley added another blue marlin release later in the day, helping the Sails close Day 1 at the top of the standings.

South Florida cruised to the title after a dominant Saturday created an intimidating lead entering Sunday’s final day. The Sails closed the event with 2,925 points, nearly 1,500 more than the New Jersey Sea Birds.

Ben Simmons of the Brooklyn Nets looks on during the first half against the Utah Jazz at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on Jan. 29, 2024. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

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Simmons’ victory came less than a year after fellow professional athlete Scottie Scheffler saw his Texas Lone Stars win the Zane Grey Championship Playoffs. Scheffler is a two-time Masters champion.

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