Former Three-Time NBA All-Star Has Gone Fishing

NBA fans, and potentially even the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, and LA Clippers, believed that Ben Simmons went fishing years ago. But the former three-time All-Star made it official this week when he announced that he had purchased a 50% ownership stake in the South Florida Sails Angling Club.

Simmons is far from the only NBA player to enjoy fishing, as names like Luka Doncic, Jared Jefferies, Paul George, and Jonas Valanciunas are among the many who have taken up the third most popular outdoor recreational activity next to biking and running. And he isn’t the only professional athlete who has ownership in a team that competes in the Sport Fishing Championship, as Scottie Scheffler (PGA), Alvin Kamara (NFL), as well as former NFL star Randy Moss, and NBA forward Grant Williams are invested in the international saltwater fishing league.

But this isn’t just a weekend hobby league, as teams compete across the United States and Mexico in events using a points-based system where fish are caught and released. Many participants and followers compare it to Formula 1 or even LIV golf, as the high-stakes, lifestyle-driven competition takes place on million-dollar boats and brings in a huge fan following.

For Simmons, the investment comes at a crossroads in his basketball career. What makes this interesting concerning the 29-year-old Australian is that he hasn't played meaningful basketball since 2024 due mainly to back and nerve issues, as well as a potential mental block that transformed him from one of the up-and-coming stars of the league into a shell of his former self in just the span of seven seasons.

As per usual, the offseason saw numerous social media posts of Simmons working out, stating he was in the best shape of his life and ready for an NBA comeback. Currently a free agent, Simmons has visions of returning to the NBA potentially during the All-Star break and playoff stretch run, hoping to make the most of his two-a-day workouts, believing he has something to offer a playoff contender.

"I don't believe it's just [about] getting on a team," Simmons said. "So, if I were to play right now, I think I'd fit right into the NBA just given what I can do. But I want to give everything I can to the game. I don't think there's any point in just wasting a spot just to be out there. I think that's a little selfish. And there are guys that do it now. But that's what it is, the business."

While admittedly not ready to compete on the same level as the professionals in the SFC, Simmons does have a passion for the sport, one that seems to genuinely excite him in ways basketball hasn’t in recent years.