He knew how to be one of the NBA figuresbut its relevance is increasingly distant from basketball and approaches a new horizon in the sea. The Australian Ben Simmonsof 29 yearsbecame the new majority owner from a professional team of sport fishing while he decides what his future will be with the orange ball.
The forward, who was chosen as number one in the draft of the NBA in 2016 for the Philadelphia 76ersmade a radical change to his sporting career by acquiring a 50% stake in the South Florida Sails Angling Cluba team that competes in the professional league Sports Fishing Championship. The entity that regulates the fishing championships confirmed the investment through its social networks, just at the moment when Simmons goes through a stage of transition in his NBA career and wait for a chance to return.
The Australian, three times chosen for the All Star Game, will take over the leadership of a fishing club whose control was managed by the league until May, when commissioner Mark Neifeld declared open the bidding process for an expansion phase. The team will be under the command of Simmons along with four other businessmen.
In recent years, the talented player’s link with fishing has only intensified. In words quoted by the magazine Haute Living in February 2025, Simmons explained: “Fishing is my happiness; it is my peace. It is my little space when I am off the field”. Furthermore, he recalled how, during his childhood in Australia, he used to go down to the rocks to cast fishing lines, fascinated by patience and technique necessary to master the art of hook and reel. For years, he rented houses by the sea in Miami and finally bought a boat. In fact, the basketball player has no NBA publications on his profile. Instagram (he is followed by about 7 million users) and is dedicated to sharing his passion for the sea and fishing with friends.
This business movement Ben Simmons It coincides with a complex period in the NBA. After his departure from the Philadelphia 76ersthe guard has been through different teams, but injuries have reduced their performance. The player was released by the Brooklyn Nets in February, and later, in 18 games with the Los Angeles Clippers average 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists. The 2018 Rookie of the Year has yet to sign a contract with any team in the current season.
According to the information published in Andscape, Simmons keeps hoping return to the NBA whether in the second half of the season or in the next one. However, the player pointed out that he currently feels that his identity is closely linked to his love of fishing and the sea. “When I get on the boat, I feel like a completely different person comes out.”he stated in the interview.
The investment in professional fishing equipment arises after a long relationship between the athlete and the activity. According to her own report Sports Fishing Championship, Simmons started to rise fishing videos on your channel YouTube in 2020 and 2024, showing their catches of big fish on high sea expeditions with friends. In addition, he is the owner of a clothing brand linked to the sector, Reel One Fishing Club.
On the other hand, the South Florida Sails Angling Club It is part of the 16 franchises that make up the Sports Fishing Championshipprofessional offshore fishing league founded in 2021, with clubs since Texas until Massachusetts. In these teams, athletes compete in 16 tournaments throughout the season for the title of champion. The league has also attracted investments from other sports and entertainment figures, including golfer Scottie SchefflerNASCAR driver Austin DillonNFL running back Raheem Mostertthe golfer Talor Gooch and the singer Brian Kelley. As for other basketball players, it is worth highlighting the participation of the legend Michael Jordan in fishing tournaments, such as the White Marlin Opencompared to the Super Bowl, in which he finished second with his boat.
Regarding the incorporation of the Australian, commissioner Mark Neifeld stated in a statement released by the league: “Ben Simmons is an excellent addition to the SFC club ownership group, made up of athletes and entrepreneurs who are leaders in their respective fields. What unites all of our owners is their genuine love of fishing; they are all part of this diverse community of men and women of sea who want to share this sport with the world”. According to the league, the presence of the NBA star reinforces the vision of professionalizing sport fishing and consolidating it as a top-level spectacle.
