Ex-NBA star Ben Simmons earns elusive championship months after taking ownership stake in sport-fishing club

Ben Simmons Secures Blue Marlin Open Title With South Florida Sails

Ben Simmons won the Sport Fishing Championship Blue Marlin Open in the Bahamas last Sunday. He competed as an angler for the South Florida Sails, the club in which he holds an ownership stake, and the team finished the event with 2,925 points.

South Florida opened the tournament with a strong performance after angler Alex Stanley recorded a blue marlin release worth 450 points. Stanley added another release on the first day, and the Sails maintained the lead through the final rounds to finish nearly 1,500 points ahead of the New Jersey Sea Birds.

Simmons acquired his stake in the club last December. The three-time NBA All-Star, selected first overall by Philadelphia in 2016 and later traded to Brooklyn, has shifted attention to competitive fishing since becoming a free agent after the 2024-25 season.

The result follows a similar outcome for golfer Scottie Scheffler, whose Texas Lone Stars claimed the Zane Grey Championship Playoffs. Simmons has described his involvement as an effort to advance a sport that has provided him with significant personal experiences.