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Philadephia 76ers buy Apex and Dignitas esports orgs, merge them into one team

The 76ers have entered the world of esports
The 76ers have entered the world of esports

Following in the footsteps of former NBA stars Shaquille O’Neal and Rick Fox, the Philadelphia 76ers have purchased their very own esports franchise by acquiring both Apex Gaming and Team Dignitas, the team announced Monday.

The newly merged team will be playing under the Dignitas banner, marking the return of the name after their elimination from the LCS in Spring 2016. The League of Legends team will field Apex’s roster.

The deal, however, includes Dignitas’ teams in not only League of Legends, but Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Overwatch, Heroes of the Storm, and Smite.

The 76ers don’t seem interested in running things themselves, as they admittedly don’t know the space. Instead, they’ve named longtime tech and gaming financial veteran Greg Richardson as Chairman of Team Dignatas. The former owners of both teams will serve in managerial positions as well, with Dignitas’ Michal “Odee” O’Dell and Apex’s Michael Slan as President and Vice President/General Manager, respectively.

“This is a landmark day in eSports history and for this franchise,” O’Dell said in a statement. “Entering into a partnership with such a strong organization will give us an undeniable advantage in attracting the world’s best players and an opportunity to compete at the highest level. Our connection to the legendary Philadelphia 76ers brand and business organization will be a differentiating factor for Team Dignitas as we enter the next phase of our development.”

While European sports clubs like FC Schalke 04 and Beşiktaş have purchased teams overseas, this is the first time a professional North American sports team has entered the esports space.


Taylor Cocke is pulling for a Warriors buy-in. Follow him on Twitter @taylorcocke.