24
Dec
Catch of the Day
Ben Simmons 'fishing' for NBA return - literally
Australian basketballer Ben Simmons is now a professional fisherman. Photo: Instagram
Ben Simmons becomes a Sport Fishing Championship team owner as his NBA return timeline shifts.
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- The Ballard of Aussie Benjamin David Simmons
The lure of an NBA return this season for Australian Ben Simmons has been overtaken by the "F1 for Fishing, the LIV golf for fishing."
Simmons, 29, is now a team owner in the Sport Fishing Championship. The Australian point-forward is the operator of South Florida Sails.
“The way I see it, it’s like the new F1 [Formula 1] for fishing. The new LIV Golf for fishing,” Simmons told ESPN's Marc Spears.
"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."
Simmons can now add "Professional Fisherman" to three-time NBA All-Star (2019–2021); All-NBA Third Team (2020); two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team (2020, 2021); NBA Rookie of the Year (2018); NBA All-Rookie First Team (2018); and NBA steals leader (2020).
Simmons has earned more than AUD $310M (USD $203M) in his nine-year career.
Simmons is an unsigned free agent in 2025-26 and told Spears he was preparing for a comeback in the second half of this season, or sitting out all together.
"I don’t think there’s any point in just wasting a spot just to be out there," he said.
"I think that’s a little selfish. … 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.
"I’m looking maybe halfway through this year, if not next season."
What is Sport Fishing Championship
The Sport Fishing Championship (SFC) is a professional offshore saltwater fishing league, founded in 2021, that features elite anglers competing in a structured, team-based championship format.
Key points:
- Comprises 16 professional angling clubs
- Teams are based across the U.S., including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts
- Clubs compete in 16 tournaments across a season
- Aimed at elevating sport fishing into a high-profile, commercially driven competition, often compared to Formula 1 or LIV Golf, but for fishing
- Features celebrity team owners from sport and entertainment, alongside professional anglers
In short, SFC positions itself as the first fully realised top-tier competitive sport fishing championship, blending elite competition, team identities, and modern sports-league presentation.
