PSXEFor a lot of professional athletes, retirement signifies a kind of crossroads. Years of competing, training, and living in the public eye have gone by but what comes next? Shockingly, or maybe not that surprising as more and more find their second career in an area that has always been deemed ‘fun’: professional gaming. From basketball courts to virtual battlegrounds, a unique subset of athletes has channeled their competitive spirit into esports and content creation and some are doing well.
From the locker room to the livestream
It’s an athlete’s career continued through the most unlikely but appropriate means. The spirit of competition, hand-eye coordination, quick decision-making, all these translate surprisingly well to the world of esports. Just as athletes once learned how to read a play in seconds or master precise movements, they now study in-game mechanics with an intensity identical to the former.
Ironically, this transition at times is like the excitement of walking into a casino. Completely different in purpose and structure, yet each can bring that rush of high-stakes decisions and fast reflexes. The comparison halts happily there as one flourishes on luck, the other on practiced precision. Yet it is not uncommon to hear athletes discussing both in their streams, drawing analogies for their audience’s benefit between strategic games and games simply for fun.
NBA stars leading the way
Among the early entrants to the esports wave was NBA star Gordon Hayward. A renowned marksman with a three-point shot and court vision, Hayward also made a name for himself in the gaming world. His passion for League of Legends didn’t end with just regular streaming and investment as a part-owner in Gen.G. It was also a smart financial move that helped bridge the huge cultural chasm between traditional sports and ‘sports’ played on the computers.
Another ex-NBA player, Rick Fox created Echo Fox which played titles such as Street Fighter and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Though his venture was not free from problems, it shed light on a new path for retired athletes to take in a fast-growing industry: path of ownership, influence, and leadership.
From playbooks to joysticks
This transition isn’t just for basketball players. Take retired NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson, who infused his on-field charisma into live streaming via Twitch. Be it challenging fans to an epic FIFA showdown or impromptu mid-game conversation, Johnson has built up a following blurring those lines between sports celebrity and gaming personality.
While he may still be involved in football, JuJu Smith-Schuster is far more than that in the esports space now. Whether it is being one of the biggest celebrities playing Fortnite with pop culture icons or organizing youth esports camps, JuJu serves as a launching point for the next generation of athlete-gamers.
Formula One meets Formula Gaming
Even in the high-speed world of racing, the spin-off into gaming has traction. F1 champions Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc plunged into sim racing during COVID-19 lockdowns, a time when real racing ground to a standstill. Their participation was not only for fun both performed professionally in virtual Grand Prix events while showing their competitive edge in both digital and physical circuits. Even in FIFA, Verstappen’s good enough to be one of the top global players.
All the precision, focus, and patience to drive a track at 200 mph doesn’t evaporate as soon as the engine’s off; it just shifts to a different screen.
In retrospect
What stands out in this trend is not just the success of the athletes but how organically their traits are transferred from one arena to another. Discipline, competition, and playing under pressure are not bound to physical sports; they are equally relevant in esports.
Furthermore, it signifies a general change in culture. Since video games have become a common form of entertainment, they now appeal to people of every kind, including those who use to crowd the stadiums. Whether they are playing, investing, or streaming content online or even coaching, these retired sportsmen are changing the game.