Esports started as a niche within a niche. For many years, this was only possible in damp warehouses and deserted cafes. Nowadays, it’s seen as a profitable investment by sports superstars in NBA and WNBA and with fans who also enjoy NBA picks and parlays.
Esports arose not from incentives but from personal passions or children’s passions to connect to the media.
This article discusses five basketball stars who have invested in esports.
Michael Jordan
Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest NBA player of all time. Additionally, it’s no surprise that Jordan is a millionaire. His clothing brand “Jordan” has continued to thrive decades after his retirement. Jordan is also the majority owner of the NBA franchise Charlotte His Hornets.
Over the years, Jordan has continued to expand his investment portfolio. A six-time NBA champion, in 2018, he entered the esports division. Jordan invested in Team Liquid in late 2018 through an investment startup called aXiomatic Gaming, into which he invested $26 million. Alongside him, Jordan’s Olympic teammate Magic Johnson invested in the startup.
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal is one of the wealthiest former athletes in the world. Since joining the league, Big Diesel has actively invested in various sectors.
O’Neal has invested in his NRG esports alongside Alex Rodriguez and his MLB star Jimmy Rollins. NRG Esports competes in its League of Legends competitions, attracting approximately 400 million viewers yearly. NRG eSports is trying to establish itself in the world of mainstream esports.
According to an interview in The Washington Post earlier this year, he decided to commit to the media after witnessing the League of Legends Season 3 World Championships at the request of his children.
“When I get there, it feels like a basketball game. There are 30,000 little kids screaming. And when I saw these two kids playing on the screen, I asked myself. What is this? And [my children] said this is the future, Dad. sports. ”
O’Neal became part of NRG Esports in 2016 as an investor.
Steph Curry
Stephen “Steph” Curry joins Golden State Warriors teammate Andre Iguodala in a group that invested $37 million in one of the most successful NA Esports franchises, TSM. Recently, TSM made news by signing another major sponsorship deal.
This time it’s the cryptocurrency exchange FTX. The deal, which will pay the team $210 million over 10 years, is the largest of its kind.
Magic Johnson
Earvin “Magic” Johnson was one of the league’s first superstars. He played a significant role in popularizing the NBA. After Johnson retired from basketball, he became one of his top athletes and a business mogul.
Johnson invested in the esports sector long before anyone else. He was part of the first investment in his Team Liquid by his aXiomatic Gaming group. Johnson also invested in SimWim Sports, a digital sports league of teams with sports stars and celebrity owners.
He also purchased football and basketball franchises on SimWin. Johnson is invested in his mix of Gaming, sports, Web3, and metaverse mashups.
Kevin Durant
Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant is one of the most famous players in basketball today. He is also one of the most active athletes on social media. Durant’s Twitter section is trendy. He has also been criticized in NBA circles.
The former league MVP has been an active investor in Silicon Valley startups since joining the Golden State Warriors in 2016. Durant and his business partner Rich Kleiman founded the Durant Company and have invested heavily in the engineering industry.
In February 2018, Durant announced that he had invested $38 million in Vision Esports, a mutual fund and management company owned by former NBA player and actor Rick Fox and his MGM Resorts executive Chris Nordling. and got into the sector when the NHL was co-founded. Stratton Scravos, a minority shareholder of the San Jose Sharks, own it.
In Summary
The industry as a whole is worth about $1.4 billion. The NBA 2k game, which releases a new edition yearly, is also one of the best.
The industry is still on the rise, with many NBA superstars investing. Above are some of the most prominent names in basketball that have invested in the industry.
