OAKLAND, Calif. – GSW esports LLC has named Hunter Leigh as its head of esports,
it was announced today. In this role, Leigh will oversee all esports activities
related to the Golden State Warriors, including Golden Guardians, its North
American League of Legends Championship Series (NA LCS) affiliate team, and the
Warriors’ team in the NBA 2K League. Leigh will report directly to Kirk Lacob,
vice president of GSW Sports Ventures and assistant general manager of the
Golden State Warriors.
Leigh, an esports industry veteran, previously served as head of esports
operations for Yahoo Esports, where he helped create rivalry events for
University League of Legends (uLoL) and Super Smash Bros. He also worked at Riot
Games, the developer and publisher of League of Legends, as the NA LCS product
lead, where he helped transition the league to a best-of-three schedule,
improved player contract protections and helped pave the way for the partnership
system. Leigh’s resume also includes a stint as product and operations manager
for ongamers.com, CBS Interactive’s esports site.
“The Warriors are such a well-respected sports franchise and organization, and I
am fortunate that they selected me to help steward their entrance into esports,”
said Leigh. “I’m eager to hit the ground running as it relates to player
acquisitions and building competitive teams for both League of Legends and the
NBA 2K League. The Warriors have a proven model for championship success, and I
am looking to bring their player development and analytical approach to the
esports space.”
Golden Guardians is one of 10 affiliate teams competing in the NA LCS, with play
beginning in January 2018. The Golden State Warriors will also participate in
the inaugural season of the NBA 2K League, which is the first esports league
operated by a U.S. professional sports league. The NBA 2K League will begin with
player tryouts in early 2018 and a draft in March before tipping off the season
in May.
Media Content: http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/hunter-leigh-named-head-esports
Media Keywords: NBA, Sports, Golden State Warriors, Golden State Warriors
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Taxonomy: ESports
Story Link: http://www.nba.com/warriors/news/hunter-leigh-named-head-esports
