If you are an eSports fan then you might have seen some new teams popping up in the industry, which are tied to flashy names like Drake, Michael Jordan, Will Smith, Shaq, and many more popular celebrities and businessmen. In the last few years, we have seen an explosion of money-spinning in eSports. But why? The reason is crystal clear that there is a lot of money to be made in eSports. It is no near to other industries such as gambling or video game industry. But esports is gradually growing and its future seems brighter so much so that, it is predicted to become the major industry which will gain more audience in the future and that’s why all want to invest in it. According to a Statista report, global eSport market is expected to reach $1.7 billion by 2022 and that is because of more than 250 million viewers across the globe tune into esports events every year. And most of them are millennials, between the ages of 18-35 years.
Numbers of NBA players have shown their interest in eSports, after all sports players like to immerse themselves into eSports gaming as well since it gives them the same intensity than NBA games like with Drake and Jordan. These NBA players know how to have a smart investment in this fast-growing industry, while combining it with a valid source to earn money as much as it is also done in online sports’ betting such as NBA betting at 888 sportsbook, which have betting odds for eSports as well. These NBA stars are tending towards eSports and own teams in it. Well, we all cannot buy an eSports team but we can remember some important tips to do the best in sports betting.
Here’s the list of your favorite NBA stars who have invested in eSports:
Michael Jordan
Jordan is still the face of the NBA even after years of retirement. He has earned nearly $1.7 billion fortune and enters in to esports to invest his wealth securely. The owner of NBA’s Charlotte Hornets jumped into the world of eSports by being in a group of some prominent people that put nearly $26 million in popular esports organization Team Liquid’s parent company aXiomatic Gaming. NBA star knows how to investing in a startup is a smart plan and he has invested in such businesses including Muzik and Gigster.
Rick Fox
Rick Fox who played for the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers also thinks eSport is the future. Kyle Fox, His son, is a huge fan of League of Legends esports. So this thing caught the eye of this former NBA player and he didn’t only become the fan of the eSports but he now owns an esports team called Echo Fox that competes in the LCS (League of Legends Championship Series). Echo Fox is now one of the most valuable eSports organizations in the world and it is co-owned by MGM Resorts executive Chris Nordling.
Kevin Durant
Much like other NBA stars, Durant is also a smart investor and he likes to invest in startups as well. This Golden State Warriors player has started his own startup named Durant Company that manages his tech industry investments. Recently, he joined in the club f NBA players who are investing in eSports. He was in a group of investor that invested $38 million in Vision Esports. Vision Esports is an esports investment fund and management company and Rich Fox is one of the founders of this company. Echo Fox is owned by this company as well.
Shaquille O’Neal
It’s been a few years since Shaq is into esports. He is one of the first NBA player investors in esports. He is a partial owner of NRG group, an esports organization that has invested in an eSports team named San Francisco Shock that competes in Overwatch League (OWL).
Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala
The popular teammates from Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry and Andre Iguodala have shown some interest in investing esports. In July 2018, these teammates joined a group that invested over $37 million in Team SoloMid (TSM) that competes in League of Legends Championship Series. TSM is an esports organization that was founded by Andy Dinh, a 26-year-old gamer.
