Golden State Warriors name Hunter Leigh as head of esports

The Golden State Warriors have named Hunter Leigh as their new head of esports.

This news comes soon after the GSW-owned Golden Guardians announced they had a slot in the new League of Legends NA LCS team. Leigh will be overseeing the Golden Guardians, but also the Warriors’ forthcoming NBA 2K team and any other esports possibilities that might appear.

Leigh was previously the head of esports operations for Yahoo Esports, but has also worked with Riot Games as their NA LCS product head. In his role at Riot, Leigh did a lot of work on the partnership system that brought Golden Guardians to the table. Good work looking after your future, past Leigh.

Leigh brings with him years of experience in the esports industry, having served as head of esports operations for Yahoo Esports. As such he led the creation of events for University League of Legends and Super Smash Bros. He had previously worked at Riot Games, LoL’s publisher, as the NA LCS product lead – essentially paving the way for the new franchise partnership system.

“The Warriors are such a well-respected sports franchise, and I am fortunate that they selected me to help steward their entrance into esports.” said Leigh. “I’m eager to hit the ground running as it relates to player acquisitions and building competitive teams for both League of Legends and the NBA 2K League. The Warriors have a proven model for championship success, and I am looking to bring their player development and analytical approach to the esports space.”