The NBA career of Ben Simmons is in jeopardy after the past few seasons of struggles harmed his reputation. Simmons fell from a consistent All-Star to someone struggling for minutes last season with the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers. This past offseason showed teams holding no interest in Simmons with so many talented players across the league available.
Simmons is apparently looking at a surprising new career path. The free agent hoped to join an NBA team by now, but he’s starting to chase a professional fishing career during his time out of the league.
An interview with Andscape saw Simmons sharing the following about becoming the new controlling operator for the South Florida Sails in the Sports Fishing Championship:
“It’s a very niche sport. And if you don’t know, you don’t know. But once you experience it and get out there and see what it’s about, you’re kind of in awe of what the sport is. And that’s just something I’ve always been interested in in terms of the sport of fishing. The technique.”
The long-term future of Simmons could see him make a return to the basketball court. However, it seems like he’s putting his focus on something else upon realizing teams won’t come calling unless they have a desperate situation.
Does Ben Simmons Still Love Basketball?
The big criticism towards Simmons has been that he doesn’t have the same passion for basketball like most of his peers of the same talent skill. Simmons was once compared to LeBron James upon entering the league and having a great skill set. Unfortunately, a lack of progression and specific flaws worsening ruined his career.
Simmons was criticized for not shooting open three-pointers and jump shots. Minimal confidence caused him to remain stagnant and have some embarrassing moments passing on open lay-ups for the Philadelphia 76ers in playoff games. 76ers fans souring on Simmons led to more drama.
Multiple lackluster stints since then and a deeper regression into barely being a rotation player has put his career in doubt. The passion for basketball for Simmons will be questioned even more as he moves to a new career. Most players in his situation would have joined an international league or the G-League to keep their basketball careers going.
Would Any Teams Sign Ben Simmons?
The forecasting of Simmons’ future in the NBA requires finding a team that would like to give him another chance. Former teammate Joel Embiid had a falling out with Simmons at the end of their run together, but he has expressed a desire to team with him again if the situation made sense.
Unfortunately for Simmons, Philly will likely avoid that due to the baggage and their ability to develop younger talents with the extra playing time. A playoff team will likely have more desire to sign Simmons if they need an experienced former All-Star to provide depth after an injury.
Simmons should get another shot, whether it comes this season or during the offseason for next year. However, there will be a shorter leash to require him to play well in his limited minutes. Fishing at least gives him another option to chase the thrill of competition without basketball in his life.
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