Celtics’ Jonas Jerebko finalizes deal to acquire eSports team

Boston Celtics’ Jonas Jerebko (8) dunks against the Golden State Warriors during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, April 1, 2016, in Oakland, California. Boston won 109-106.  AP

Following the footsteps of retired NBA stars Shaquille O’Neal and Rick Fox, Boston Celtics forward Jonas Jerebko is investing on a professional competitive video gaming franchise.

According to an ESPN report, the 29-year-old Swedish athlete is finalizing a deal to purchase the Renegades, a Michigan-based e-sports team that competes in League of Legends (LOL) and Counter Strike: Global Offensive.

Jerebko has reportedly negotiated contracts with the players on the team, and will now put them up in a house and training facility in suburban Detroit—where he spent his first six seasons in the league, playing for the Pistons.

The delighted owner, who has also served as a team representative for the National Basketball Players Association, stressed that he won’t engage in questionable business practices, which has been documented in several cases in the eSports industry.

“The Call of Duty players we were negotiating with were under contract last year and weren’t getting paid for three to five months,” Jerebko said in the report. “That’s not going to happen with me. You get a paycheck on time.”

Jerebko has become one of the Boston’s most dependable role players, playing 78 games for the Celtics last season. To date, he’s earned about $24 million in his seven-year career.

The eSports community, meanwhile, has grown in recent years and produced globally televised competitions with multimillion-dollar cash prizes for winning teams.  Khristian Ibarrola