Esports started as a niche of a niche — hardcore competition in video games. For decades it could only happen in damp warehouses and cigarette-smoke-laden internet cafes. Recently, however, it has been deemed a lucrative investment by superstars from its athletic cousins, including the NBA and WNBA.
Investments made by famous people from across different fields are far from what makes esports the cultural phenomenon that it is, but they don’t hurt. For a number of the entries in this article, their interest in esports came not through a monetary incentive, but from a connection to the medium – either a personal passion or the passion of their children.
