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

Ben Simmons yet captured a title — conscionable not successful the athletics that defined astir of his nonrecreational career. This past Sunday, the erstwhile NBA subordinate won the Sport Fishing Championship (SFC) Blue Marlin Open successful the Bahamas.

Simmons competed arsenic an angler for the South Florida Sails, a nine helium co-owns.

Simmons said his concern successful athletics sportfishing was driven by a longtime passionateness for the sport. "I person ever believed that investing successful what you emotion means you person a work to assistance determination it forward," Simmons, who past appeared successful an NBA crippled during his lone play with the Los Angeles Clippers, said.

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Los Angeles Clippers defender Ben Simmons plays during the 3rd 4th against the Sacramento Kings astatine Golden 1 Center. (Darren Yamashita/Imagn Images)

"Sport sportfishing has fixed maine unthinkable experiences, and SFC is creating a level that treats offshore sportfishing similar the elite athletics it is."

Selected No. 1 wide by Philadelphia successful the 2016 NBA Draft, Simmons was traded to Brooklyn successful February 2022. He missed the full 2021-22 play due to the fact that of a declaration quality with the Sixers and a herniated disk coming to airy aft arriving with the Nets. Simmons aboriginal underwent backmost country pursuing Brooklyn’s playoff exit.

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Since becoming an NBA escaped cause pursuing the 2024-25 season, Simmons appears to person shifted his absorption from hoops to competitory fishing.

Simmons' ownership involvement successful the Sails was announced past December. South Florida's authoritative SFC website lists the three-time NBA All-Star arsenic the franchise's controlling owner.

South Florida opened the lawsuit strong, aided by angler Alex Stanley’s bluish marlin merchandise worthy 450 points.

Philadelphia 76ers constituent defender Ben Simmons looks connected aft Game One of the archetypal circular of the 2018 NBA playoffs against the Miami Heat astatine Wells Fargo Center successful Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, connected April 14, 2018. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

Stanley added different bluish marlin merchandise aboriginal successful the day, helping the Sails adjacent Day 1 astatine the apical of the standings.

South Florida cruised to the rubric aft a ascendant Saturday created an intimidating pb entering Sunday’s last day. The Sails closed the lawsuit with 2,925 points, astir 1,500 much than the New Jersey Sea Birds.

Ben Simmons of the Brooklyn Nets looks connected during the archetypal fractional against the Utah Jazz astatine Barclays Center successful Brooklyn, New York, connected Jan. 29, 2024. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

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Simmons’ triumph came little than a twelvemonth aft chap nonrecreational jock Scottie Scheffler saw his Texas Lone Stars triumph the Zane Grey Championship Playoffs. Scheffler is simply a two-time Masters champion.

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