A Boston Celtics player bought esports organization Renegades
Boston Celtics player Jonas Jerebko purchased esports organization Renegades, which currently has teams in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Call of Duty and Halo.
Jerebko, a self-proclaimed Counter-Strike player, is the latest traditional athlete to jump into the business-side of esports. Shaquille O'Neal is one of the owners of esports organization NRG Esports, which has players in Counter-Strike, Overwatch and Super Smash Bros.
Renegades has had some difficulties since forming in March 2015, including the former owner's permanent ban from competitive League of Legends, which led to the dissolving of Renegades' League team. Meanwhile Renegades' Counter-Strike team -- its other major squad -- hasn't seem too much success, mostly placing in the middle of the pack in major tournaments.
You May Also Like
Jerebko told The Daily Dot that he will focus on fundamentals, such as player payment and proper structuring, citing his own difficult experiences starting out in professional basketball.
“When I signed my first professional contract, they flew me to Italy and dropped me off at an apartment with a pocket full of cash," the Swedish basketball player told The Daily Dot. "That was on a Thursday, and they said ‘see you on Monday.’ I’m 18 years old in a different country."
Under Jerebko, the Australian Renegades squad has been moved together to a house in Rochester, Michigan.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Jerebko told The Daily Dot he was already interested in investing in esports before the opportunity with Renegades presented itself. He didn't do it without some proper research though, making sure that the Counter-Strike roster wouldn't lose its spot in ELeague Season 2 after a change in ownership.
Renegades did not respond to Mashable's request for comment.
