AUSTIN, Texas — It has been nearly 18 months since Sacramento Kings co-owner Andy Miller co-founded NRG eSports, an organization which currently fields players and teams across seven titles, including Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Rocket League and Overwatch.
Miller was joined by co-founder and Sacramento Kings co-owner Mark Mastrov along with notable athletes Alex Rodriguez, Shaquille O’Neal and Jimmy Rollins as investors. The launch of NRG eSports came at the onset of traditional sports owners and athletes entering eSports, which now includes ownership groups purchasing eSports teams, the Houston Rockets having an in-house eSports expert, NBA teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat investing in the space and NBA players such as Boston Celtics forward Jonas Jerebko purchase a franchise, too.