Friday, January 27, 2023
No Result
View All Result
Esports Grizzly
  • Home
  • Industry
  • GamesUpdates!
    • Call of Duty
    • CS:GO
    • Dota 2
    • FIFA
    • Hearthstone
    • League of Legends
    • NBA 2K League
    • Overwatch
    • Rocket League
    • StarCraft II
    • Valorant
  • Esports Betting SitesNew
    • Bitcasino Esports Review | Evil Geniuses’ Home Esports Bookmaker
    • Sportsbet.io Esports Review
    • Cloudbet Esports Review | Is Cloudbet Legit?
    • Dogecoin Esports Betting Sites
    • Luckbox Review (2021) – Is Luckbox Esports Safe?
    • Betway Esports Review
    • GG.Bet Esports Review | League of Legends, Dota 2 and CS:GO
    • Rivalry Esports Review
    • Pinnacle Esports Review
  • Blog
  • Newsletter
  • About us
  • Contact
Friday, January 27, 2023
No Result
View All Result
Esports Grizzly
No Result
View All Result

sha-oneal-shooting-in-the-nba

Image credit: Wikipedia Commons

NBA Legend Shaquille O’Neal Talks about Why He Believes in Esports’ Future

in Industry
July 1, 2021
  • In an interview with The Washington Post, former NBA star Shaquille O’Neal spoke about esports and how he came to associate competitive gaming with the future
  • The basketball legend is known as one of the first athletes who invested in the esports industry
  • Shaq is convinced in the longevity of esports and is firm that competitive gaming will continue developing.

Shaquille O’Neal was among the first sports stars who showed interest in the developing esports industry. He revealed how he came to believe in its potential. 

“The Kids Dictate What’s Going to be”

Shaquille O’Neal was one of the first professional athletes in a traditional sport who saw the potential of competitive gaming. He was among the first investors who supported an esports organization, namely NRG esports. 

However, esports weren’t O’Neal’s introduction to gaming. Back in 1994, he received his very own video game called “Shaq Fu,” which recently received a remaster. 

In an interview with The Washington Post, Shaq spoke about his esports investments and how he came to believe in the prospects of gaming. O’Neal revealed that he doesn’t merely invest for money but rather invests in things that he believes in. 

The NBA legend told the interviewer about his first meeting with esports – when Shaq was in California, his kids took him to an esports event. He was moved by the excitement of the young people at the event and decided to learn more and get involved. 

“When it comes to technology, kids dictate what’s going to be and what’s not going to be,” Shaq said.

He elaborated how the youth has immense power over the market and how things like Tik Tok became a staple in marketing because of that. 

Shaq’s Experience with Gaming and Esports Investments

Despite investing in NRG and following the team’s activities, Shaq admitted that he rarely has the time to look up what’s happening on the larger esports scene. However, he said that at some point, he would like to take a break and invest his time in learning to play Call of Duty. 

When asked how he feels about the industry’s development, O’Neal revealed that what he was most surprised by is how quickly esports players burn out and how fast the big names in esports change.

The interviewer asked Shaq how he feels like one of the most prominent esports investors among basketball players, to which the legend responded that he doesn’t really care what other investors are doing. He reminded that for him, investments are not merely dealt for money but rather partnerships that enable him to learn and grow. 

Shaq added that when he started investing, he never doubted the potential longevity of esports, but he is still surprised by how much gaming has grown. 

O’Neal was asked if he thinks esports will surpass movies and sports leagues such as the NBA in popularity. He replied that he is not quite sure as he lacks the professional expertise but is convinced and hopeful that esports are here to stay. 

Shaq revealed that his favorite video game is NBA Jam.

Shaq is one of the sports athletes that pioneered esports investing. However, in recent times, traditional sports have been becoming more and more receptive to collaborating with esports. Even the Olympic Committee finally greenlit an official esports event. 

Tags: NGR EsportsShaquille O'Neal
Stefan VelikovbyStefan Velikov
Tags: NGR EsportsShaquille O'Neal
Home » NBA Legend Shaquille O’Neal Talks about Why He Believes in Esports’ Future
ShareShareTweetShareSend
league-of-legends-clash-between-champions
Blog

Betting on League of Legends: Top 5 Sites to Wager Using Bitcoin

by Papa Bear
September 15, 2022

Few games have captured the hearts of the wider audiences quite like Riot Games’ masterpiece League of Legends has. The...

Read more
overwatch-female-characters
Opinion

Women in Esports: How Esports Are Moving Towards a More Inclusive Future

by Stefan Velikov
October 25, 2021

Gaming has long been regarded as something reserved for nerdy boys. As times change women join in on the fun...

Read more
v-bucks-currency-in-fortnite
Blog

Bitcoin Esports: Best Crypto Esports Betting Sites

by Alexander Todorov
January 23, 2022

Bitcoin esports betting is on the rise. The idea of placing wagers on your favorite esports teams is an experience...

Read more

Latest and Popular

Riot Games' headquarters.
Industry

Riot Might Be on the Cusp of a Huge Employee Layoff

by Stefan Velikov
January 20, 2023
blizzard-company-official-logo
Industry

Blizzard Is Leaving China after NetEase Denied Contract Extension

by Stefan Velikov
January 19, 2023
The Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
Industry

France Wants to Create a Strong “National Esports Ecosystem”

by Stefan Velikov
January 18, 2023
evil-geniuses-featured-logo
Industry

Evil Geniuses Parts Ways with Four Coaches

by Stefan Velikov
October 27, 2022

Next Post
complexity-gaming-featured-logo

GameSquare Buys Out Complexity Gaming for $27m

eSports Grizzly Mobile Dark
eSports Grizzly Mobile Dark

Content Categories

  • Blog
  • Call of Duty
  • College Esports
  • Consoles
  • Cosplay
  • Counter Strike
  • DOTA 2
  • FGC
  • Fortnite
  • Gaming
  • Halo
  • Hearthstone
  • Industry
  • League of Legends
  • Mobile Legends
  • News
  • Opinion
  • Overwatch
  • Popular
  • PUBG
  • Q&A
  • Rainbow Six Siege
  • Rocket League
  • Streamers
  • Uncategorized
  • Valorant

Recent Posts

  • Team Vitality’s Kaiser Shares His Thoughts on the LEC 2023
  • How Will Kiriko’s Latest Nerf Change the Way She’s Played?
  • Players Don’t Seem to Like League’s Patch 13.1B Yuumi Nerfs

About Esports Grizzly

We bring you the best Premium esports content from around the globe.

Our FREE weekly newsletter

Keep in the loop with our minimalist weekly newsletter. Subscribe today!

GET IN TOUCH

Esports Grizzly reports on the latest industry and gaming intelligence, Want to pitch in? Get in touch!

  • Home
  • About us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact

© 2021 Esports Grizzly - Your daily BITE of global esports

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Industry
  • Games
    • Call of Duty
    • CS:GO
    • Dota 2
    • FIFA
    • Hearthstone
    • League of Legends
    • NBA 2K League
    • Overwatch
    • Rocket League
    • StarCraft II
    • Valorant
  • Esports Betting Sites
    • Bitcasino Esports Review | Evil Geniuses’ Home Esports Bookmaker
    • Sportsbet.io Esports Review
    • Cloudbet Esports Review | Is Cloudbet Legit?
    • Dogecoin Esports Betting Sites
    • Luckbox Review (2021) – Is Luckbox Esports Safe?
    • Betway Esports Review
    • GG.Bet Esports Review | League of Legends, Dota 2 and CS:GO
    • Rivalry Esports Review
    • Pinnacle Esports Review
  • Blog
  • Newsletter
  • About us
  • Contact

© 2021 Esports Grizzly - Your daily BITE of global esports

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.