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Ben Simmons finally got a championship, but not in the sport that defined most of his professional career. Last Sunday, the former NBA player won the Blue Marlin Open of the Sport Fishing Championship (SFC) in the Bahamas.
Simmons competed as an angler for South Florida Sails, a club he co-owns.
Simmons said his investment in sport fishing was driven by a long-standing passion for the sport. “I've always believed that investing in what you love means you have a responsibility to help it move forward,” said Simmons, who last appeared in an NBA game during his lone season with the Los Angeles Clippers.
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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/Image Images)
“Sport fishing has given me incredible experiences and SFC is creating a platform that treats deep sea fishing like the elite sport that it is.”
Selected number one overall by Philadelphia in the 2016 NBA Draft, Simmons was traded to Brooklyn in February 2022. He missed the entire 2021-22 season due to a contract dispute with the Sixers and a herniated disc that came to light after arriving with the Nets. Simmons subsequently underwent back surgery following Brooklyn's exit from the playoffs.
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Since becoming an NBA free agent after the 2024-25 season, Simmons appears to have shifted his focus from basketball to competitive fishing.
Simmons' involvement with Sails was announced last December. The official South Florida SFC website lists the three-time NBA All-Star as the majority owner of the franchise.
South Florida opened the event strong, helped by angler Alex Stanley's release of blue marlin worth 450 points.
Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons watches after game one of the first round of the 2018 NBA playoffs against the Miami Heat at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on April 14, 2018. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Stanley added another blue marlin shot later in the day, helping the Sails close Day 1 atop the standings.
South Florida clinched the title after a dominant Saturday created an intimidating lead entering Sunday's final day. The Sails closed the event with 2,925 points, almost 1,500 more than the New Jersey Sea Birds.
Ben Simmons of the Brooklyn Nets watches during the first half against the Utah Jazz at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on January 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 Gray Championship playoffs. Scheffler is a two-time Masters champion.
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