The greatest basketball player of all-time is sending some dollars down esports lane.
aXiomatic group, who owns renowned esports squads such as Team Liquid, announced that it had secured investments from NBA legend Michael Jordan, adding another high profile sports name to the esports world. Jordan has made several business moves since he retired from professional basketball in 2003, and his successes have launched his net worth to over $1.7 billion.
“I’m excited to expand my sports equity portfolio through my investment in aXiomatic. Esports is a fast-growing, international industry and I’m glad to partner with this great group of investors,” commented Michael Jordan, in a statement posted by aXiomatic.
Jordan now joins other former NBA stars who have invested in esports, such as Shaquille O’Neal with Team NRG, and Rick Fox with Team Echo Fox. And if you think it’s something that only these old dogs from the NBA are into, think again: Steph Curry recently joined forces to invest in Team SoloMid.
The NBA’s influence in esports is felt through teams as well – the Miami Heat have a stake in Team Misfits, and the Los Angeles Gladiators of The Overwatch League are owned by Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, the same company that owns the NBA’s Denver Nuggets.
The money in esports is continuing to grow, and more and more big names are trying to get in on the action. It’ll be exciting to see which stars decide to get in on the ground floor!
