Ben Simmons Pauses NBA Return, Goes Pro in Another Sport

NEED TO KNOW

• Ben Simmons is pausing his return to the NBA
• Instead, Simmons reportedly plans to become a professional angler
• Simmons is not on an NBA roster this year, but he told Andscape he thinks he could play in the future

Ben Simmons may still be off the court, but the NBA star is back in the game.

Simmons, 29, who is now an NBA free agent, has paused his plans to return to the NBA following an injury during his time with the Brooklyn Nets in 2023. On Tuesday, Dec. 23, it was announced that Simmons, an avid fisher, will now serve as the new controlling operator of the South Florida Sails of the Sport Fishing Championship, per Andscape.

“The way I see it, it’s like the new F1 [Formula 1] for fishing. The new LIV Golf for fishing,” Simmons told Andscape. “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. It’s a point-scored system. So, you’re fishing for white marlin, blue marlin, sailfish and striped marlin. There are all different point systems for each one."

SFC is a professional offshore saltwater fishing league founded in 2021, which hosts tournaments featuring pro anglers. There are 16 pro angling clubs combined in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, New Jersey, New York and Massachusetts, in which pro anglers compete in 16 tournaments for a title.

Simmons is the latest celebrity to chart his course in professional fishing. Scottie Scheffler, Harold Varner III, Talor Gooch, Randy Moss, Raheem Mostert, Brian Kelley and Austin Dillon are all owners of SFC clubs, Andscape reports.

Simmons is not currently signed to an NBA team. The point guard and power forward spent the 2024-2025 season with the Los Angeles Clippers.

The three-time NBA All-Star began his career with the Philadelphia 76ers in 2016, and played there until he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in February 2022.

Simmons, who was born in Australia, faced several injuries during his time with the Nets. The team waived him in February 2025, and he signed with the Clippers as a free agent.

Despite his injuries, Simmons told Andscape he has continued to work out and believes he could still play if he keeps getting healthier.

“I don’t believe it’s just [about] getting on a team,” Simmons told the outlet. “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."

Simmons says he is "very blessed to not have to be in that situation where I need to fight right now," adding, "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.” 

Read the original article on People