Esports company FaZe Clan has announced the signing of NBA superstar Ben Simmons as a brand ambassador and investor. Simmons will operate under the tag of “FaZe Simmo.” The Philadelphia 76ers guard joins fellow NBA players Josh Hart of the New Orleans Pelicans, Meyers Leonard of the Miami Heat, and Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets as investors into the Los Angeles-based esports and lifestyle company.
The two-time NBA All-Star has been associated with FaZe Clan before, having been snapped wearing team gear and with team members. Earlier this year, Simmons appeared alongside FaZe Clan owner Thomas “Temperrr” Oliveira on the cover of basketball magazine Slam and in a feature discussing his relationship with gaming.
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Simmons is expected to headline FaZe Clan’s Series B funding round which is yet to close. The esports giant previously secured $40 million of funding in its Series A funding round from the likes of rappers Offset, Pitbull, and Swae Lee, skateboarder Nyjah Huston, and music executive Sylvia Rhone.
Like several other NBA players, Simmons spends his time outside of basketball streaming himself playing games on Twitch. The Australian basketball player has been playing Call of Duty: Warzone to pass the time until he recovers from a knee injury which required surgery. In the past, Simmons has streamed Fortnite Battle Royale and PlayerUnknown‘s Battlegrounds gameplay.
At 24 years of age, Simmons is regarded as one of the rising stars of the NBA, with his choice of games reflecting his youth. While other players in a close age range such as Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns, and Josh Hart also stream Call of Duty: Warzone and similar games, more senior players such as 30-year-old Gordon Hayward of the Boston Celtics can be seen streaming older games such as League of Legends.
It has been an eventful year for FaZe Clan, who has had to deal with the lawsuit from former player Turner “Tfue” Tenney (both the lawsuit against FaZe by Tfue and the lawsuit against Tfue by FaZe have been settled). Despite these controversies, FaZe Clan remains one of the premier global esports organizations with an emerging presence in the lifestyle and streetwear market, having collaborated with the likes of English soccer team Manchester City, clothing manufacturer Champion, and the estate of the deceased rapper Juice WRLD. The signing of Ben Simmons comes as a slam dunk move for FaZe, who appear to be aligning themselves with their jumpshot-averse superstar towards a common interest.
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