The Philadelphia 76ers have hired a new general manager, but not for the team you might expect.
While the traditional Philadelphia 76ers basketball team looks to ride into the playoffs, their video game-playing cohort announced Friday the hiring of Michael Lai as general manager and Ian Hillman as assistant general manager. With the inaugural NBA 2K league draft coming up this Wednesday, Lai and Hillman will begin to develop a draft strategy and build the digital Sixers from the ground up. Call it “The Process 2K”.
Both Lai and Hillman come from and have deep experience within the larger Sixers organization and ownership group—Lai served in the team’s analytics department and Hillman as Director of Strategy for Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Sixers and the team’s other entities, the announcement revealed.
“It is an incredible honor to be named the first-ever 76ers GC General Manager,” Lai said, according to the announcement. “I have a long history within the esports space, having played competitively for a number of years. … I am excited to combine my past experience with my expertise in basketball analytics to help build the team and business of 76ers Gaming Club.”
Lai and Hillman will be positioned to use their unique expertise to steer the eSixers in the April 4 draft and through the first season.
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SportTechie Takeaway:
It comes as little surprise that the Sixers are again ahead of the pack among traditional sports teams playing in the burgeoning esports space. The organization has invested in esports and its executive leadership has been outspoken on the opportunities esports present. The Sixers opened their new training and executive facility in Camden, New Jersey, with a startup accelerator—the Sixers Innovation Lab Crafted by Kimball—whose inaugural class includes an esports company. Last year Sixers CEO Scott O’Neil was named the most innovative executive by SportTechie, in no small part for becoming the first North American sports organization to acquire an esports team.