Ben Simmons is best known for his work on a basketball court, but the NBA guard's latest title came on the water. South Florida Sails, the sportfishing team Simmons controls and fishes with, won the SFC Blue Marlin Open at Walker's Cay in the Bahamas, with the event wrapping up on Sunday 18 May 2026.
It was not close. South Florida Sails finished on 2,925 points, roughly 1,500 clear of the second-placed New Jersey Sea Birds, who tallied 1,450. In a release format where each blue marlin brings 450 points, the team's anglers — among them Alex Stanley and Lee Albarty — built their winning margin by getting marlin to the boat and releasing them across the multi-day contest.
The win is part of a bigger play for Simmons, who has been backing a push to treat offshore fishing as a professional sport rather than a pastime. The SFC circuit positions blue marlin tournaments as marquee, team-based events, and Simmons has put his name and money behind that vision.
"I have always believed that investing in what you love means you have a responsibility to help move it forward," Simmons said. "Sportfishing has given me incredible experiences, and SFC is creating a platform that treats offshore fishing like the elite sport it is."
Blue marlin are among the most demanding fish in the ocean to catch, capable of topping several hundred kilograms and known for blistering runs and acrobatic jumps that test crews and tackle alike. A modern release tournament like the SFC Blue Marlin Open rewards teams for hooking, fighting and successfully releasing the fish, blending high-stakes competition with a conservation-minded format that keeps the marlin swimming.
For Simmons, the result lands as a genuine sporting triumph in a discipline far removed from the hardwood — and a marker of how seriously he is taking his off-court venture. Whether the SFC's bid to make offshore fishing a headline team sport takes hold remains to be seen, but its highest-profile backer just put a win on the board.
