Ben Simmons buys ownership stake in pro fishing team

Three-time NBA All-Star Ben Simmons has reeled in an ownership stake in the South Florida Sails Angling Club, a team that participates in the Sport Fishing Championship.

Simmons joined fellow NBA player Lonnie Walker IV as part of a group that owns 50% of the stake of the club, which SFC commissioner Mark Neifeld told Front Office Sports is valued in the "high seven figures."

"Ben Simmons is a wonderful addition to SFC's club ownership group, which includes premier athletes and entrepreneurs who are leaders in their respective fields," Neifeld said, per the professional offshore fishing league's website. "What unites all of our owners is a genuine love for fishing; they are all members of this same diverse community of watermen and women who want to share this sport with the world."

Simmons said his love for fishing began in earnest as a child in Australia when his family relocated from Melbourne to Newcastle in New South Wales.

"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."

Simmons, who last played in the NBA in April and officially isn't retired, isn't the only professional athlete involved in the league. He joins a group that includes Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss, current NFL players Alvin Kamara and Raheem Mostert, as well as pro golfers Scottie Scheffler and Talor Gooch.

Simmons, 29, averaged 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.2 assists in 383 career games (344 starts) with the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers. He was selected by the 76ers with the top overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and was the 2017-18 NBA Rookie of the Year.