Ben Simmons<\/a> was named to three All-Star Games in his first five NBA seasons and was a defensive stalwart, but suddenly became a travesty.<\/p>\n Simmons, still just 29 years old, has not played this season but has been active elsewhere, purchasing an ownership stake in the Sports Fishing Championship’s South Florida Sails Angling Club. Simmons grew up in Australia, where fishing was a regular activity.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n Los Angeles Clippers guard Ben Simmons during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. (Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita\/Imagn Images)<\/p>\n “I have always believed that investing in what you love means you have a responsibility to help move it forward,” Simmons said in a statement<\/a>. “Sportfishing has given me incredible experiences, and SFC is creating a platform that treats offshore fishing like the elite sport it is.”<\/p>\n Simmons told Andscape that the SFC is the “LIV Golf” and “F1” of fishing<\/a>.<\/p>\n “The first real competitive sport fishing championship. It\u2019s a league of 16 teams, which is growing and expanding. And so, we\u2019ll go out there and compete in various different tournaments, and there\u2019ll be a champion crowned at the end. It\u2019s a point-scored system. So, you\u2019re fishing for white marlin, blue marlin, sailfish and striped marlin. There are all different point systems for each one,” Simmons told the outlet.<\/p>\n Brooklyn Nets injured guard Ben Simmons (10) during a time-out during the third quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at Barclays Center. (Brad Penner\/USA TODAY Sports)<\/p>\n WARRIORS STAR STORMS OFF AFTER HEATED EXCHANGE WITH STEVE KERR<\/a><\/p>\n “It\u2019s a very niche sport. And if you don\u2019t know, you don\u2019t know. But once you experience it and get out there and see what it\u2019s about, you\u2019re kind of in awe of what the sport is. And that\u2019s just something I\u2019ve always been interested in in terms of the sport of fishing. The technique. And there\u2019s so much to it that people just don\u2019t understand. These guys are fishing on million-dollar vessels, and they\u2019re out for days at a time. So, it\u2019s tedious and gritty, but a lot of fun. It\u2019s one of those worlds where you just got to kind of experience it, get into it and see what it\u2019s about.”<\/p>\n Simmons, who was drafted first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers<\/a> in 2016, spent six seasons with them but didn’t play in two of them. He missed his rookie year due to injuries, and he missed the 2021-22 campaign due to injuries and a holdout. With Philadelphia, he was a triple-double threat, averaging 15.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists.<\/p>\n He was then part of the blockbuster James Harden<\/a> trade that sent him to the Brooklyn Nets, where the flameout officially began. With Brooklyn, in 90 games spanning four seasons, he averaged 6.5 points, 6.3 assists, and 6.2 rebounds.<\/p>\n Ben Simmons of the Brooklyn Nets prepares to shoot a free throw against the Philadelphia 76ers during a preseason game on Oct. 3, 2022, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. (Nathaniel S. Butler\/NBAE via Getty Images)<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/a><\/p>\n Simmons played 18 games for the Los Angeles Clippers<\/a> last season, and those numbers were cut by more than half.<\/p>\n Follow Fox News Digital\u2019s\u00a0sports coverage on X<\/a>,\u00a0and subscribe to\u00a0the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter<\/a><\/p>\n ![\"Ben](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ben-simmons-122425.jpg\")
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