BEN SIMMONS QUITS NBA: SEE HIS SHOCK 2026 PRO FISHING CAREER
Former #1 pick Ben Simmons abandons the NBA for a SHOCK new career in the SFC pro fishing league.
For almost every basketball player, young and old, the NBA is the ultimate career goal.
But for one former All-Star who was once thought to be the next LeBron James, it might just be a pit stop on the way to his real sporting dream.
Ben Simmons from Australia was the No. 1 pick in 2016, picked by the Philadelphia 76ers. People thought he'd be one of the NBA's next big stars. Paired with Joel Embiid, the Sixers duo was supposed to dominate the Eastern Conference for a decade with Simmons' awesome passing and Embiid's power.
Instead, Simmons got worse and developed anxiety about his shooting, which made him leave the Sixers. He bounced around the league before being without a team in 2025.
Simmons has choices outside the NBA, like playing in Europe or going back to Australia. But he's decided to take a different route to become a champion: fishing.
I think of it like it's the new F1 for fishing, the new LIV Golf, Simmons told Marc J. Spears of Andscape in an interview about what's coming up for him. It's the first real competitive sport fishing championship. There are 16 teams, and it's growing. We'll compete in different tournaments, and at the end, someone will be the champ.
Simmons now runs the South Florida Sails club in the Sport Fishing Championship. The SFC is a pro saltwater fishing league with 16 teams across the country, from Texas, Alabama, and Florida.
The Aussie thinks he can still help an NBA team this season, but he doesn't want to just sit on the bench. He wants to make a difference and thinks the SFC could become one of the next big sports leagues in America, along with pickleball and cricket.
Simmons last played for the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 2.9 points and 16 minutes a game in the 2024-25 season.
KENDRICK BOURNE REVEALS THE STRICT DISCIPLINE THAT SPARKED THE PATRIOTS' TURNAROUND
Kendrick Bourne speaks out! Discover why he thinks Mike Vrabel is the right fit and why he’s eyeing a 2026 return to the 49ers.
Kendrick Bourne’s path through the NFL has zigzagged all over – some highs, plenty of lows, and now, another fresh start. He took a shot with the Patriots in 2025 after building his reputation with the 49ers. But honestly, that New England chapter ended before it even got going. Bourne didn’t just slip out the back door. He left with a lot to say about what he saw brewing in New England as Mike Vrabel took charge.
Once Vrabel arrived, you didn’t need to listen for rumours about a culture shift; it was obvious. Bourne noticed right away. He’s already got his eyes set on home, back with the 49ers, but even from a distance, he could see the Patriots were heading somewhere new long before their record showed it.
Talking about his exit from New England, Bourne didn’t sugarcoat anything. Losing the job itself wasn’t the hardest part. What stung was watching Vrabel put his stamp on the team, laying down the kind of structure and discipline Bourne knew would eventually pay off. He was blunt; things just felt different under Vrabel compared to before.
He put it like this: “After going through OTAs and camp with Vrabes, you just knew. Nothing against Mayo, but he just wasn’t ready. With Vrabes, the structure was totally different in how we studied, how we met, and just the whole vibe. Honestly, I was sad about it.”
This wasn’t just a guy being bitter. Bourne respected what was happening in New England and genuinely wished he could have been part of it, especially with a Super Bowl push on the horizon. He even admitted he’d wanted to be in that locker room when the Patriots finally made it back to the big stage.
Now he’s back with the 49ers, hoping to stick around. At 30, Bourne wants a new contract in San Francisco. He had a solid 2025, racked up 551 yards, picked up a contract bonus, and gave the offence a spark. The 49ers needed reliable hands, and Bourne delivered. He’s clear: he wants to stay, but only if the deal makes sense for him.
So now, the offseason gets interesting. Bourne knows where he fits best, but he’s still keeping an eye on what’s building in New England. That mix of looking back and chasing what’s next makes this part of his career one to pay attention to.
MRI SCARE: STEVE KERR ADMITS STEPH CURRY’S "NEBULOUS" KNEE MAY REQUIRE SECOND IMAGING
Warriors crisis! Discover why Steph Curry may need another MRI and how Jimmy Butler’s ACL tear shifts GSW to the play-in.
The Warriors have been scrambling since Jimmy Butler went down with that ACL tear. He’s done for the year, and now Stephen Curry has to carry the offence on his own.
Right after the All-Star break, the Warriors are sitting in eighth place out West. That’s already shaky, and now Curry’s dealing with a knee injury too. The team calls it runner's knee; basically, he just needs time to heal. But then Steve Kerr gave an update that didn’t exactly inspire confidence.
Turns out, Curry might need another MRI. He tried to push through a full workout, but his knee just wasn’t right. Now, they’re waiting on imaging to figure out how long he’ll actually be out.
Meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis still hasn’t suited up for Golden State. If Curry misses significant time, everyone else needs to step up in a big way. The Warriors already have one of the most average offences in the league, 15th at the break. No curry, and things get ugly fast. He’s already missed 16 games this season, and the team went 6-10 without him.
Losing Butler already knocked the Warriors out of serious contention. They’re pretty much locked into the play-in. Unless Curry suddenly goes supernova, it’s hard to see them catching the Thunder or making any real noise out West.
So, what’s next? The front office tried to swing big at the deadline, going after Giannis Antetokounmpo, though who knows if the Bucks ever really considered it. Giannis stayed put, but you can bet the Warriors will chase him again this summer.
If that doesn’t work, they’ll turn to other stars. They know the championship window is closing with Curry still on the roster. He’s still elite, but time’s ticking.
LeBron James even comes up as a possibility. If he declines his player option and hits free agency, maybe he’d team up with Curry for one last run at a ring.
Most likely, though, Golden State will look at trades instead of free agents to try to reload. Curry’s health isn’t what it used to be, and the Warriors know they have to make the most of whatever prime he’s got left.