PHILADELPHIA – MARCH 30, 2018 — The 76ers Gaming Club (GC), a Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) property, announced today that Michael Lai has been named General Manager and Ian Hillman has been named Assistant General Manager.
Lai and Hillman’s experience in building dynamic infrastructure and models, analytics, business strategy and process implementation will play an important role for 76ers GC in the league’s inaugural draft on Wednesday, April 4 at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden’s Lobby in New York City. The duo will oversee the 76ers GC draft process as the team holds the No. 14 pick in the first round of the six-round snake-style draft.
“Michael Lai and Ian Hillman have distinguished themselves as rising stars in the sports industry, and we’re confident that their dynamic blend of skills will drive 76ers Gaming Club and the NBA 2K League to success,” said Chris Heck, Philadelphia 76ers President of Business Operations. “As we plan for next week’s inaugural Draft, we believe Michael and Ian will build an exciting team by pairing their passion and knowledge for esports with their deep understanding of how to apply analytics and strategy to both the 76ers GC sport and business.”
Lai currently serves as a Data Scientist for the Philadelphia 76ers Analytics and Strategy Department. In his role as General Manager of 76ers GC, he will evaluate and select NBA 2K League players and coaches. Similar to his work with the 76ers basketball team, he will also build and develop analytical models to guide the decision-making processes across 76ers GC.
Prior to joining the 76ers organization, Lai most recently worked for IBM’s Advanced Analytics team as a Data Scientist and Strategy Consultant in New York. Lai assumes the roles of 76ers GC General Manager with eight years of experience as an Equity Options Trader prior to joining IBM. He double-majored in Applied Mathematics and Economics at the University of Illinois and received his Master’s in Education at DePaul University.
“It is an incredible honor to be named the first-ever 76ers GC General Manager,” Lai said. “I have a long history within the esports space, having played competitively for a number of years. That experience gives me a unique perspective on how to best handle player evaluation and management of player well-being. I am excited to combine my past experience with my expertise in basketball analytics to help build the team and business of 76ers Gaming Club.”
Hillman adds 76ers GC Assistant General Manager to his current title as Director of Strategy within HBSE. As 76ers GC Assistant General Manager, Hillman will analyze players on performance, effectiveness and potential, apply strategic framework to draft processes and roster management, while acting as liaison to help integrate HBSE business resources into 76ers GC.Prior to HBSE, Hillman worked as an Engagement Manager for McKinsey & Company, a global management and consulting firm. Hillman’s expertise includes analytics, business strategy and process improvements, and implementation. Hillman earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and Political Science from Columbia University.
“I have played NBA 2K since 2000, when Allen Iverson appeared on the cover for five-straight years. Being named the 76ers Gaming Club’s Assistant General Manager is an exciting opportunity to apply my strategy and analytics skill set to a game which I’ve been a fan of for 15-plus years,” Hillman said. “I look forward to the opportunity to be part of the NBA 2K League’s inaugural season and leverage resources across HBSE’s dynamic global properties to ensure 76ers Gaming Club’s success on and off the court.”ABOUT 76ERS GAMING CLUB:76ers Gaming Club (GC) is one of 17 esports teams competing in the NBA 2K League founded by the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software. Based in the greater Philadelphia region, 76ers GC draws inspiration from the history of the nation’s revolutionary city, fused with the modern esports fan and player. The team joins Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment’s dynamic portfolio of leading sports and entertainment properties around the world. For more information, go to https://NBA.2K.com/2KLeague/.ABOUT HARRIS BLITZER SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT:Founded by Josh Harris and David Blitzer, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment (HBSE) includes in its portfolio the Philadelphia 76ers, the New Jersey Devils, leading venue Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., the GRAMMY Museum Experience Prudential Center, the Delaware Blue Coats, the Binghamton Devils, the Sixers Innovation Lab Crafted by Kimball, and renowned esports franchise Team Dignitas and new NBA 2K League Team, 76ersGaming Club. Led by some of the best and brightest minds across a diverse spectrum of industries, HBSE positions itself as one of the most pioneering, innovative sports and entertainment businesses in the world. HBSE also strives to positively impact the local communities in which it operates through the powerful platform of sports. For more information, visit http://www.hbse.com/.
ABOUT THE NBA 2K LEAGUE:The NBA 2K League is a professional esports league co-founded by the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO). Launching in 2018, the league will feature the best NBA 2K players in the world. Each of the league’s 17 teams will draft players to compete as unique characters in 5-on-5 play against the other teams in a mix of regular-season games, tournaments and playoffs. The league hosted tryouts in early 2018, followed by a draft in April and the season tip-off in May. For more information about the NBA 2K League, visit http://www.nba2kleague.com/.