- Kevin Garnett invests in Triumph Esports
- His company seeks to bring urban lifestyle and competitive video gaming closer together
- More mainstream athletic competitions turn to esports
Former NBA ace Kevin Garnett has invested into Triumph Esports through Big Ticket Sports LLC, an event hosting company he owns.
Kevin Garnett and Mixing Esports and Urban Lifestyle
NBA All-Star Kevin Garnett has become the latest athlete to invest in esports, specifically through his event hosting company, Big Ticket Sports LLC. On Monday, August 12, Big Ticket Sports revealed that they had backed Triumph Esports, a first for the company.
The company presently runs Hoop It Up and Kick It Soccer, three-versus-three competitions in basketball and European football. Commenting on the recent investment, the man himself had this to say:
“Our relationship with Triumph Esports is a natural fit as we look to showcase and elevate shared lifestyle experiences through competition, content and live events.”
Mr. Garnett also added that the ultimate goal of his company was to create positive experiences in fans’ lives. Triumph seems like a good gateway into the esports space, with the organization owning Rivalcade, which in turn focuses on running competitive events. As to Triumph’s standing on the esports scene, the organization runs teams in several categories, including:
- Overwatch
- Apex Legends
- Teamfight Tactics
Triumph specifically focuses on minor and newer titles, avoiding bigger competition for the time being. Meanwhile, Triumph CEO Scott O’Leary has also shared his excitement to be granted the opportunity to work with Big Ticket and specifically Hoop It Up, speaking about a convergence of basketball, music, esports and urban lifestyle.
More Investment Flows into Esports
The interest esports has grown exponentially, including among athletes and other mainstream sports organizations. A number of investors, including Shaquille O’Neal, Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Rick Fox have launched themselves in the sector.
Rick Fox has been recently sounding a retreat over a particularly recalcitrant shareholder who has put the team’s good name and legacy at stake over derogatory comments.
Meanwhile, NBA is hardly the first place where athletes have been coughing up for video games.
In Europe, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) signed a deal with Chinese powerhouse LGD to create one of the most formidable esports teams, which nearly bested everyone during the Dota 2 International 2018.
Apart from the ambitions of regular players, whole leagues have endorsed esports. Formula 1 has promoted the F1 Esports Series with now nearly every racing team in the main event participating in the digital race.
At the same time, the English Premier League (EPL) has struck up a deal with EA, the company that has developed FIFA 19, the video game, to launch the ePremier League, a digital soccer competition. From Drake to Imagine Dragons, quite a few people are investing in the business of competitive video gaming.