Ben Simmons has won a championship — just not in basketball. Nearly a decade after being selected No. 1 overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2016 NBA Draft, Simmons earned a title in sportfishing as owner of the South Florida Sails team.
The South Florida Sails won the Sport Fishing Championship Blue Marlin Open in the Bahamas with 2,925 points, recording six blue marlin releases over three days and finishing just one short of the event record. Simmons purchased a controlling stake in the team in late 2025 and has described sportfishing as an “elite sport.” Growing up fishing in Australia, he has embraced the sport as a new passion, finding success in a competitive venture outside of basketball.