IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / iStockphoto / Kelly Dalling
Former Philadelphia 76er and 3x NBA All-Star Ben Simmons is not officially retired from the NBA but is an unsigned free agent. If he does retire, he will end his NBA career without having ever won a league trophy.
But in that scenario, his trophy case at home won’t sit empty as he just picked up a huge win in the 2026 Walker’s Cay Open stop of the Sport Fishing Championship series along with this team, the South Florida Sails. They caught six blue marlin to blow away the field.
NBA All-Star Ben Simmons Wins Sport Fishing Championship Tournament In The Bahamas
The Sport Fishing Championship tournament series features 6 stops (12 total tournaments) throughout the year. Teams are divided into Atlantic and Gulf divisions and then compete for the grand championship at the end of the season during the Zane Grey Playoffs which Scottie Scheffler’s team won last year.
The Key West Classic was the first stop of the season and held in Key West, Florida on April 17th. That was two tournaments in one (Atlantic and Gulf), with 13 teams competing. The Lights Out team won the Atlantic and the Third Coast Renegades won the Gulf Division. Ben Simmons’ Atlantic division South Florida Sails were in contention on Day 2 of the 3-day fishing tournament but fizzled out.
Flash forward a month to the second Sport Fishing Championship tournament of the year, the 2026 Walker’s Cay Open in The Bahamas, and Ben Simmons‘ South Florida Sails were crowned champions.
Fishing began on Friday morning and the Ben Simmons’ crew released their first blue marlin at 11:18 AM with angler Alex Stanley on the rod. Blue marlin are worth 450-points and that fish immediately put them atop the leaderboard. At 2:53 PM, Ben’s team would release their second blue marlin of the day, also with Stanley on the rod. Combined with two sailfish caught throughout the day, they finished with 1,050 points and the Day 1 lead.
Blue Marlin Bite Stayed Hot
@sportfishingchampionship The South Florida Sails double down, extending their lead at the @Walker’s Cay Open. 🐟🔥 With 3 Blue Marlin and 1 Sailfish, the South Florida Sails have slid into a comfortable lead going into Day 3. 👀 Tune in LIVE to see if they maintain their lead through the final day on @ESPN , @Disney and @YouTube. 🙌 #SportFishingChampionship #SFC #WalkersCay #Bahamas #OffshoreFishing @QuickSweep
On Day 2 of fishing, the South Florida Sails were able to find the blue marlin again. Angler Lee Albarty released one at 12:10 PM and Alex Stanley released a sailfish one hour later. This pushed the team to over 1,500 points.
Then on Day 3 they dominated the field. Ben Simmons’ team released their sixth blue marlin of the Walker’s Cay Open at 11:24 AM on Sunday which pushed them to 2,925 points.
Other teams were fighting back. Kenny Hernandez of East Coast Remix, a friend of mine who I went to Lake Tahoe with on a bachelor party a few years ago and he taught me everything I know about playing craps, caught a blue marlin at 2:10 PM on Sunday.
@sportfishingchampionship South Florida Sails continue to dominate 💥 Lee Albarty releases a Blue Marlin during Day 3 of the @Walker’s Cay Open, bringing their total to 6 Blue Marlin released across the weekend. 😤 #SportFishingChampionship #SFC #WalkersCay #Bahamas #BlueMarlin
In the end though, nobody could catch Ben Simmons and the South Florida Sails. Their 2,925 Points was 2x the second place New Jersey Sea Birds with 1,450 pounds. In third place was Kenny Hernandez and East Coast Remix with 900 points.
Through two stops (4 tournaments), Ben Simmons’ South Florida Sails Angling Club sits in 2nd place in the Atlantic Division Standings with a total of 5,900 points. Kenny Herndandez and the East Coast Remix are tied for 3rd place in that division with 5,600 points. The Third Coast Renegades Angling Club is leading the Gulf Division Standings with 3,500 points.
Ben Simmons looks like a literal giant next to his team during the awards banquet. You love to see it:
If you haven’t been keeping up with the Sport Fishing Championship you can find the action on ESPN+ and Disney+ throughout the season!