Many know him as the high-scoring, starting forward for the LA Lakers who played alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant as they brought home 3 consecutive NBA Championship titles in 2000 – 2002. Today, Rick Fox is making a new name for himself as a businessman in the world of eSports. His newly acquired franchise, Echo Fox has teams competing in five expressions including League of Legends, CS:GO, Call of Duty, Street Fighter and Super Smash.
As a gamer himself, Fox saw the market growing and made the move to buy the team for a reported $1 million in 2015. The eSports gaming global market was valued at $748 million and is on course to reach over $1 billion by 2017. The fast-growing market brings in gamers from all over the world to compete in the League of Legends Championships.
For those of us who don’t play video games, it’s hard to think of eSports as an actual sport, being that these players sit at a computer for hours on end, but, as a former athlete, Fox treats his team as athletes as well.
“Most professions this day and age are spent sitting in front of a computer for most of the day,” Fox told ConnectWithLife.com. “Our team has nutrition sponsors and a workout regimen which is already ahead of most people.”
Some of the sponsors Echo Fox has recently acquired include Adaptogen Science Tasty Whey – a high-protein supplemental mix that provides multiple wellness nutrients, and Vertagear – a company that makes exquisitely designed chairs to enhance gamers’ comfort. Protein sponsors for gamers who sit in super-chairs all day might be an easy thing to poke fun at, but the EchoFox team is not one to reckon with. Fox pushes his team to ensure that they remain physically active.
“Lack of daily movement is an issue not just in gaming but in a large majority of the world,” Fox said. “Our athletes know that in order to perform their best, they need to be physically fit and agile, so nutrition and working out has become an important part of their daily regimen.”
Having spent over a decade in the NBA, Fox also knows that what characterizes someone as an athlete goes far beyond physical capability — there’s a mental aspect that plays a large part.
“The separation between great and legendary is from the shoulders-up,” Fox said. “Talent and skill are obvious ingredients in reaching any successful level of mastery, but visualization is what will get you to a higher level.”
The importance of visualization has been praised by more than just athletes. Esteemed talk show host Oprah and legendary actor Jim Carrey credit much of their success to the mental aspect of visualizing success before achieving it and thoroughly plotting and planning every step of how they will get to their desired goal. Rick Fox has used gaming to keep his mind mentally active.
“Gaming is proven to help people work the mind, and gaming keeps me sharp and competitive.” Fox said.
Another sponsor of his Franchise Echo Fox is the new app TipTalk which gives fans direct access to celebs and influencers with a guaranteed response in under 48-hours for a set price. Rick Fox is available on the app to answer any burning questions surrounding eSports or life in the NBA for 10 credits, or $10 US dollars, all of which go to charity.
Read more: TipTalk App Lets You Connect With Your Favorite Influencers
“I think having an awareness outside of yourself is very important. I want my fans to know that I care about them and that I’m accessible.” Fox continued, “I love showing gratitude to those who have supported me through the highs and lows of my career,” said Fox. “It is in important to have an attitude of gratitude, and there’s a responsibility that comes with having a strong base of support.”
We all have people that we’re willing to pay to talk with, even Rick Fox, who says he’d pay to talk to some of the other eSports owners and players who he’d otherwise be accused of poaching.
Curious to see who else is on the app? Download TipTalk here and receive your first 5 credits for free.
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