Ben Simmons’ heart hasn’t been in basketball for some time now. To his defense first his body started tanking and his refusal to transition into the new age of hoops where a point guard, no matter how tall and talented, has to have a three-ball, hasn’t helped him land on a new team since spending the 2024-2025 season vacationing with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Despite the three-time NBA All-Star’s vanishing hoops career, he’s finding happiness in a new sport that requires much less a toll on the body and mind, and almost no fan interaction. Fans may want to still see him on the court, but his NBA career is on pause for now.
Ben Simmons Leaves Pursuit Of NBA Title For Sport Fishing Championship
Simmons is the new controlling operator of the South Florida Sails of the Sport Fishing Championship
Now 29, the NBA free agent hasn’t touched an NBA court following his uneventful stint with the Brooklyn Nets in 2023. On Tuesday, Dec. 23, it was announced that Simmons assumed the role.
He used to be a new age prototype point guard, tall with exceptional court vision, a power game that exploited mice in the house. He was considered the anchor to a Philadelphia Sixers franchise that tanked to acquire generational talents such as Simmons and Joel Embiid, to rise to the top of the NBA elite. Some failures in the playoffs and stretches of inactivity due to injury and complacency has led to Simmons putting hoops behind him.
Instead of fishing for buckets, he’s really on the water competing and bringing another celebrity name to the sport.
“The way I see it, it’s like the new F1 [Formula 1] for fishing. The new LIV Golf for fishing,” Simmons told Andscape. “The first real competitive sport fishing championship. It’s a league of 16 teams, which is growing and expanding. And so, we’ll go out there and compete in various different tournaments, and there’ll be a champion crowned at the end. It’s a point-scored system. So, you’re fishing for white marlin, blue marlin, sailfish and striped marlin. There are all different point systems for each one.”
What Is a Sport Fishing Championship?
SFC, a professional offshore saltwater fishing organization, was founded in 2021 and hosts tournaments featuring pro anglers. On the circuit, there are 16 pro angling clubs combined in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts. Anglers from these areas compete in 16 tournaments for a title.
Simmons is the latest celebrity to join the ranks of pro fishing. Golfers Scottie Scheffler, Harold Varner III, Talor Gooch, NFL players Randy Moss, Raheem Mostert, singer Brian Kelley and NASCAR star Austin Dillon are all owners of SFC clubs, according to reports by Andscape.
NBA Fans Are Shocked By 6-Foot-10 Ben Simmons’ Decision To Ditch NBA For Pro Fishing
The three-time NBA All-Star began his career with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016 and peaked as a nightly double-double threat who could fill up the stat sheet until things went South, and he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in February 2022.
Fans undoubtedly had plenty of jokes and harsh reality comments for the former All-NBA point guard/forward.
“I’d say waisted talent but he sucked,” one fan said.
“Looks like Ben Simmons finally found his catch of the day better than those elusive three pointers!” said another fan, triggering a barrage of posts that ridiculed Simmons’ long-range prowess.
“Gone finishing every playoffs so might as well,” added a third fan on X.
“More minutes there than on the court.,” quipped one commenter.
“finally, a sport where he won’t pass up an open lake,” said a netizen on X who took a jab at Simmons’ reputation for being afraid to shoot beyond 10 feet.
Simmons’ fishing mission had one fan confused.
“Ben Simmons really said, “basketball who?” and went full Captain Ahab. Skipping the NBA to chase fish professionally? That’s either peak confidence or peak chaos, either way, the league just lost a storyline and gained a bait and tackle saga.”
Fans Say Philly Broke Ben Simmons’ Basketball Spirit
Is Simmons running away from the challenge of the NBA? Some fans think that his spirit was broken by the fans in Philly.
“Yeah after Philly, bro loss his love for the game. It showed. And he’s finally embracing it,” one fan commented on X.
“Looks like Ben Simmons is trading layups for lures smart move, since that Leopard Coral Grouper seems easier to reel in than a championship ring. Congrats on the ownership gig with South Florida Sails; hope the fish bite better than the critics!” another fan said.
To which another replied, “Really putting the whole “couldn’t hit water in a boat” test out there I see.
RELATED: Ben Simmons Handled The Boos In His Return To Philly | But The Nets Are Still A Team With Bad Habits
The Australian-born Simmons has been ravaged by nagging injuries throughout his career, but he told Andscape that he’s still working out and hooping and if he can improve his health enough to handle the rigors of an 82-game season then he would consider a return to the hardwood art some point.
“I don’t believe it’s just [about] getting on a team,” Simmons told the outlet. “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.”
Ben Simmons Dating History Is Championship Caliber: No Days Off
Most impressive about Simmons is that in between all of the drama he found on the court he was able to successfully rotate a harem of the hottest celebrity women.
He was engaged to Maya Jama, a TV host and influencer with over 3M followers, but the wedding was called off in 2022. His well-chronicled relationship with Kendall Jenner began in 2018 before ending in a Love Triangle with Tinashe Kachingwe. The singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress dated Ben Simmons from 2018 to 2019. Simmons had a brief love affair with Jasmine Rae from 2020 to 2021. The 6-foot-10 former LSU star also dated Eiza Gonzalez from 2022 to 2023.
Throughout his relationships his bond with the world famous Jenner, eventually ended in May 2019 as Jenner then started an on gain and off again love affair with Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker.
Simmons’ heart for the game has been questioned, ridiculed and the subject of debate show rants for years. He’s not even mentioned anymore. Just 29-years-old, Simmons has plenty of life left and career NBA earnings reportedly between $80-$100M, so he’s under no pressure to return to the NBA or seek out a team.
Simmons says he is “very blessed to not have to be in that situation where I need to fight right now,” adding, “But I want to get to the best of my ability and physical peak to compete. Otherwise, it doesn’t really serve me any purpose.”
Some leisurely but competitive fishing excursions might give him the peace he needs without the toxic environment that tends to follow NBA athletes.
