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An NBA prodigy turned bust has another career in mind.
Ben Simmons was named to three All-Star Games in his first five NBA seasons and was a defensive stalwart, but he suddenly became a farce.
Simmons, still only 29, hasn’t played this season but has been active elsewhere, buying a share in the South Florida Sails Angling Club of the Sport Fishing Championship. Simmons grew up in Australia, where fishing was a common activity.
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Los Angeles Clippers guard Ben Simmons during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. (Mandatory credit: Darren Yamashita/Imagn Images)
“I’ve always believed that investing in what you love means you have a responsibility to help it move forward,” Simmons said in a statement. “Sport fishing has given me incredible experiences and SFC is creating a platform that treats deep sea fishing like the elite sport that it is.”
Simmons told Andscape that SFC is the “LIV Golf” and the “F1” of fishing.
“The first truly competitive sport fishing championship. It’s a 16-team league, which is growing and expanding. So, we’ll go out and compete in several different tournaments, and at the end a champion will be crowned. It’s a scoring system. So, you’re fishing for white marlin, blue marlin, sailfish, and striped marlin. There’s different point systems for each one,” Simmons told the outlet.
Injured Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) during a timeout during the third quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center. (Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports)
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“It’s a very specific sport. And if you don’t know it, you don’t know it. But once you experience it and you go out and see what it’s about, you’re amazed at what the sport is. And that’s something that’s always interested me in terms of the sport of fishing. The technique. And there’s so many things that people just don’t understand. These guys are fishing on million-dollar boats, and they’re out for days at a time. It’s tedious and raw, but a lot of fun. It’s one of those worlds where you just “You have to experience it, immerse yourself in it and see what it’s all about.”
Simmons, who was selected first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016, spent six seasons with them but did not play in two of them. He missed his rookie year due to injuries and missed the 2021-22 campaign due to injuries and a resistance. With Philadelphia, he was a triple-double threat, averaging 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists.
He was then part of the blockbuster James Harden trade that sent him to the Brooklyn Nets, where the fiasco officially began. With Brooklyn, in 90 games over four seasons, he averaged 6.5 points, 6.3 assists and 6.2 rebounds.
Ben Simmons of the Brooklyn Nets prepares to shoot a free throw against the Philadelphia 76ers during a preseason game on October 3, 2022 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
Simmons played 18 games for the Los Angeles Clippers last season and those numbers were more than halved.
