Ben Simmons, the one-time No. 1 overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers, has added an unexpected trophy to his shelf after helping the South Florida Sails win the Sport Fishing Championship Blue Marlin Open in the Bahamas. The team logged six blue marlin releases over three days to finish with 2,925 points, edging out rivals and falling just short of a single-event record set the prior year by Third Coast Renegades Angling Club in the 2025 Pensacola Billfish Release Tournament. Captain Mike King and the crew found a hot spot and ran with it, and Simmons’ investment in the club last December put him squarely in the middle of this win.
The Sails’ week in the Bahamas was the sort of run that makes anglers grin for weeks. They released six blue marlin across three days, collecting points steadily instead of relying on a single monster hookup. That steady approach is what wins tournaments like this; it’s about consistent work, patience, and a little luck. For a crew representing South Florida, the win also feels like a validation of the program Simmons helped fund.
Captain Mike King described their stretch of luck plainly and in a way teammates recognize instantly: “The fishing was really good for us, we were holding the ball,” said Captain Mike King of South Florida Sails Angling Club. King walked a fine line between modesty and pride, noting that he had an area to himself and that the run of good fishing couldn’t be fully explained. When a captain and crew click, everything else follows—the drills, the timing, the lines, the nerves. That cohesion turned intermittent opportunity into a championship tally.
Simmons’ role is part owner and something of a poster for a growing push to treat offshore tournaments more like mainstream competitive sports. In December 2025 he bought a controlling stake in the South Florida Sails and spoke about sportfishing as an “elite sport.” That angle isn’t just marketing; it’s a worldview that changes how events are run, how sponsors show up, and how athletes—amateur and pro—approach preparation.
“I have always believed that investing in what you love means you have a responsibility to help move it forward,” Simmons said at the time. “Sportfishing has given me incredible experiences, and SFC is creating a platform that treats offshore fishing like the elite sport it is.” Those words landed differently coming from someone who already carried the weight of a professional athletic career, and they’ve given the Sails a visible advocate off the water as well as on it. Ownership matters in smaller sports; it brings resources, attention, and a few extra hands when the season gets long.
𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒍𝒂𝒈 🇧🇸✔️
The South Florida Sails earned the climb to the top of the famous @walkers_cay gantry 🏆#SportFishingChampionship pic.twitter.com/Is6LPASgsp
— Sport Fishing Championship (SFC) (@TheSFC_official) May 18, 2026
There’s also a human side to this story that lands easier than any stat line. Simmons grew up fishing in Australia, so the move into competitive angling has roots that trace back to his youth rather than coming across as a celebrity hobby. The jump from the NBA’s hardwood spotlight to blue-water tournaments might look odd on paper, but it’s a natural pivot for someone who finds competition in different arenas. For his teammates, having a figure with that background tied to the program can be energizing and practical at once.
On the water, the Sails were close to rewriting the record books. They finished a blue marlin short of tying the all-time Sport Fishing Championship single-event team record of seven releases. That benchmark, set by Third Coast Renegades Angling Club during the 2025 Pensacola Billfish Release Tournament, has become the target everyone chases. Coming within one release of that mark in a three-day stretch shows the Sails are not a flash-in-the-pan outfit; they’re building something repeatable.
Watching Simmons find success in another arena has a warm, almost redemptive quality to it. His NBA career sparked debate, expectations, and headlines, but off the court he’s discovered a way to compete that fits him differently. The win in the Bahamas isn’t a headline-grabber about scoring or assists; it’s a trophy that proves a shift in focus can produce real results. For anglers, team owners, and curious fans, it’s a reminder that competitive fire doesn’t disappear—it just looks different from sport to sport.
