Ben Simmons’ Unexpected Turn: From NBA Comeback Bid to Professional Fishing Owner
Three-time NBA All-Star Ben Simmons is pursuing a surprising new passion while continuing his rehabilitation, becoming an owner in a professional fishing league as he eyes a potential return to basketball.
Former No. 1 overall pick Ben Simmons’ path back to the NBA has taken an unexpected detour. After a tumultuous stretch with the Brooklyn Nets and a brief, underwhelming stint with the Los Angeles Clippers, the 27-year-old is focusing on a different kind of competition: professional fishing. The 2023-24 season was cut short, playing just 18 games for Los Angeles after being waived by the Nets in February and signing with the Clippers for the remainder of the year. Despite going unsigned during the offseason, Simmons remains committed to returning to the court.
“I don’t believe it’s just [about] getting on a team,” Simmons told Andscape. “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.”
To that end, Simmons is maintaining a rigorous training schedule, completing two-a-day basketball and strength and rehabilitation workouts six days a week. He hopes to be healthy enough to join a team during the All-Star break or next season, but insists he won’t settle for a role that doesn’t allow him to contribute meaningfully.
However, his focus isn’t solely on basketball. Simmons has embraced the world of competitive fishing, becoming an owner of the South Florida Sails. The Sport Fishing Championship boasts 16 teams across 11 states, competing in tournaments to catch various fish, culminating in a championship.
“It’s a very niche sport. And if you don’t know,you don’t know,” Simmons explained. “But once you experience it and get out there and see what it’s about, you’re kind of in awe of what the sport is. And that’s just something I’ve always been interested in in terms of the sport of fishing. The technique. And there’s so much to it that people just don’t understand. These guys are fishing on million-dollar vessels, and they’re out for days at a time. So, it’s tedious and gritty, but a lot of fun.”
While not an angler himself – “I’m not the best angler,” he admitted – simmons is heavily invested in the team’s success and the growth of the sport. He sees his role as one of a facilitator and community builder.
“I have a passion in helping these guys grow the sport because I really believe in it,” Simmons said. “So, for me to compete, it would be a little selfish. Maybe if I work hard enough to be a bit of an angler, maybe I’ll put myself on the roster. But it’s more so for me about building the community in Miami around the fishing. That’s really important, and it’s a duty that we have now.”
Simmons reports no setbacks in his NBA recovery, but acknowledges he hasn’t consistently reached his peak form in recent years. He hasn’t played 60 or more games in a season as before the pandemic, and his 51 games last season, split between the Nets and Clippers, were a far cry from the dominant two-way player he once was.
The possibility remains that Simmons may never fully recapture that earlier form, but he remains determined to try. “We’re human, we want to find out,” Simmons stated. “I got to see. I don’t think this story is over for me playing, but let’s see where it goes. So as long as I put in that work and put the energy into doing that, then everything else will write itself.”
