Ben Simmons is adding another title to his résumé — and this one has nothing to do with basketball. The former No. 1 overall NBA draft pick helped guide the South Florida Sails to a first-place finish at the Sport Fishing Championship’s Blue Marlin Open at Walker’s Cay in the Bahamas, marking the franchise’s first major win since Simmons became its controlling owner earlier this year.
According to ESPN, the South Florida Sails separated themselves from the field early in the three-day event after angler Alex Stanley released a blue marlin on opening day, earning the team 450 points and the first blue marlin release of the 2026 SFC season.
Another successful release later that afternoon helped South Florida take control of the leaderboard, and the club never gave up the lead. By the end of the tournament, the Sails had racked up 2,925 points — nearly 1,500 ahead of the second-place New Jersey Sea Birds.
While Simmons is still connected to the NBA world after becoming a free agent following the 2024-25 season, the 29-year-old has increasingly shifted focus toward competitive offshore fishing. The Australian native grew up fishing with his father and spent years casting from rocky coastlines before eventually moving into offshore boating.
During NBA offseasons in Miami, Simmons reportedly became more immersed in deep-sea fishing culture and eventually invested directly in the sport.
That passion turned into ownership in December 2025, when Simmons purchased a controlling stake in the South Florida Sails. “I have always believed that investing in what you love means you have a responsibility to help move it forward,” Simmons said after joining the SFC ownership group. “Sportfishing has given me incredible experiences, and SFC is creating a platform that treats offshore fishing like the elite sport it is.”
The SFC has increasingly attracted crossover interest from major sports figures seeking opportunities beyond traditional ownership. Golf star Scottie Scheffler previously celebrated a title in the league after his Texas Lone Stars won the Zane Grey Championship Playoffs last year.
Competitive sportfishing has also seen growing online visibility through livestreams, social media content, and branded team franchises modeled on mainstream professional sports leagues.
The South Florida Sails reportedly released six blue marlins during the Bahamas tournament, and Simmons has expressed interest in sharpening his own angling skills enough to eventually compete on the roster himself.
