Sacramento Kings Co-Owners Buy Into eSports, Forms North American League of Legends Team
Sacramento-co owners Andy Miller and Mark Mastrov have purchased Team Coast’s North American League Championship Series (LCS) spot for the 2016 Spring Split. They will put up NRG eSports as a new contender team for the NA LCS.
The two NBA team co-owners lead an investment group that will be buying into eSports. Their entrance in the NA LCS marks the second time in 2015 that a major investment group from outside the industry will be entering eSports. The price of their buy-in is as of yet undisclosed.
In 2013, both Miller and Mastrov became a part of the tech investment group lead by software tycoon Vivek Ranadive that bought out the Sacramento Kings. And now, the same investment group is entering the largest eSports league in America through their team, NRG eSports.
Although NRG eSports is a brand new team, the squad is already turning heads. NRG has signed former world champion, top laner Jung “Impact” Eon-yeong. Impact was part of the Season 3 Worlds championship team SKT 1 alongside Faker and Bengi. (READ: SKT1 Wins Their Second World Championship).
WATCH: Impact runs circles around Team Liquid, dancing between life and death and wiping the opposition from the Rift
Impact moved to North America to compete with Team Impact in January of this year. The Korean top lane carry is known for his aggressive plays, leading NA in kills during the 2015 Summer Split with a KDA of 5.4. Impact also lead the gold charts for all top laners in NA at 226.5 average gold earned per minute.
Also joining NRG are fellow Korean players Lee “GBM” Chang-seok and Koo Hyuk “KonKwon” Kwon. GBM played in the Korean leagues under Jin Air Green Wings while KonKwon will be jumping ship from Team Coast.
Rounding out NRG’s roster is another NA LCS veteran, Johnny “Altec” Ru, formerly from Gravity. As Gravity’s AD Carry last season, Altec was instrumental in their 4th place finish.
Miller and Mastrov are both experienced company executives who have been part of some truly multinational organizations. Miller first entered public spotlight in 2010 after he sold his mobile advertising startup, Quattro Wireless, to Apple for $275 million.
Mastrov found 24 Hour Fitness in 1983 and has been expanding his health club across the United States since 1986. Along with finding a string of other businesses, Mastrov is also known for supporting startups in technology in the Sacramento area, most notably the mobile app company Netpulse Inc.
Last October 7, the NA LCS team Team 8 was bought out by a consortium of tech investors which include Peter Levin, president of Lionsgate Interactive Ventures; Steve Kaplan, co-owner of the Memphis Grizzlies basketball team; Allen Debevoise, chairman of Machinima; and Machine Shop Ventures, an arm of nu-metal band Linkin Park. Their entry into the LCS scene was the first instance of a high-profile tech investment group barging into eSports.
Team 8 was rebranded into Immortals and will be partnered with computer parts manufacturer AMD.
Banner image from NRG's Facebook page.
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