Gen.G

Chris Bosh
 

Chris Bosh has made his decision...on what esports organization to sign with.

On Wednesday, Gen.G announced Chris Bosh will serve as the organization's player management advisor. According to a press release, "Bosh will mentor teams and players, focusing on leadership, teamwork, building great teams, dealing with the pressures of high-profile sports and more."

"Everything about Gen.G aligns with my values and interests as an avid gamer," Bosh, 34, says in the release. "Coaching and mentoring have always been part of my long-term plan in some capacity. We're creating a culture of winning and integrity based on the concept of teamwork -- I can't wait to get started because the future of Gen.G, and esports as a whole, is extremely bright. I really appreciated Gen.G's approach to building winning teams, they were one of the first esports organizations to hire psychologists, physical trainers, really putting the player's health and well-being first. Gen.G is first-class all the way."

Gen.G, which operates out of Seoul, San Francisco and Shanghai, has five elite-level esports teams, most notably the Seoul Dynasty of Overwatch League. Seoul finished in eighth place Overwatch League's inaugural season this past year, missing the playoffs by four points.

Gen.G also has competitive teams that compete in League of Legends, Heroes of the Storm, PUBG and Clash Royale.

According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, Bosh's involvement with Gen.G became a reality after Bosh struck up a relationship with co-founder and vice chairman Phillip Hyun.

"We talked a lot and were just hanging, and he said, 'Why don't you come see what it is we're doing with Gen.G?'" Bosh says. "I took my kids to watch, and it was pretty cool. Phillip asked if I wanted to become involved in some sort of way, and it just came together." 

Bosh, who played 13 seasons for the Raptors and Heat -- winning two titles in Miami -- has not played an NBA game since 2016. Blood clotting forced Bosh to be sidelined indefinitely before the 2016-17 season. For salary cap reasons, the NBA ruled this issue "career-ending" for Bosh in June 2017.

However, rumors have been swirling this week about a possible return, potentially with the Knicks. Current Knicks head coach, David Fizdale, served as an assistant coach with the Heat during Bosh's tenure in Miami.

In terms of esports, Bosh joins a plethora of athletes investing or taking on roles in the space. Perhaps the gold standard of this move can be seen within Echo Fox. Three-time NBA champion Rick Fox founded the esports organization in 2015. In 2017, he hired fellow former NBA player Jared Jeffries as president.

"Chris' presence will have a profound effect on our players and the impact will be felt top-to-bottom within our organization," says Arnold Hur, Gen.G esports Chief Growth Officer. "He's a winner and has the unique ability to get through to our players in a way that many coaches can't. We're thrilled to have him as the newest member of the Gen.G family."

Gen.G also says Bosh will have a "multi-purposed" role, serving as "advisor, coach, mentor and confidante at Gen.G."

-- Follow Jeff Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband. Like Jeff Eisenband on Facebook.