With the Washington Wizards suffering another horrendous year, it seems team owner Ted Leonsis is starting to focus his attention on other avenues.
In a live event for Wall Street Journal Future of Everything, Leonsis discusses how eSports could be the next big thing in the entertainment industry. He specifically emphasized popular basketball video game, NBA 2K, especially with the league also organizing its own NBA 2K league for pro gamers.
According to the 62-year-old Wizards owner, 10 years from now, it's highly possible that an NBA 2K player will be “more popular” and “better compensated” than LeBron James is today.
Certainly, the rise of Esports and video games in general has been rapid, and Leonsis clearly puts a lot of stock into the burgeoning market therein. However, comparing any eSports player to one of the most well-known NBA players of all time seems like a bit of a stretch.
LeBron James, at this point in his career, is a living legend, and it seems doubtful that any player of NBA 2K would be able to reach the same heights of fame and recognizability that The King has in his storied career.
Perhaps one day Leonsis will be proven right, but, for now, that idea seems rather remote.