A week after announcing internally his intentions to sell his stake in the esports team he founded, Echo Fox, because of racial epithets purportedly used by one of the team's shareholders, former NBA star Rick Fox said he would reverse his decision to leave the company if it ceased business with the investor.
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In a video posted by TMZ on Friday, the former Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics player passionately explained his stay-or-go stance, one that stood in contrast to prior reports that he definitely planned to separate from the company.
Last week, reports emerged of a partner with Vision Esports -- part of Vision Venture Partners, an investment group Rick Fox co-founded that owns a stake in Echo Fox -- being alleged to have used racist language aimed at Jace Hill, the former CEO of Echo Fox and current CEO and head custodian of Twin Galaxies. Hall is African-American.
'I have amazing partners, investors, sponsors that don't stand for this type of behavior,' Fox told TMZ in the interview published Friday. 'This has been my life. This has been my passion. I'm not looking to go anywhere, but I will not stay in business with a racist. I just won't.'
Echo Fox and Riot sources told ESPN the investor Fox is referring to is Amit Raizada, a co-founder of Echo Fox, who allegedly used the N-word to describe Hall during an internal dispute. Raizada is a partner in the esports organization's parent company, Vision Venture Partners, and founded Echo Fox along with Rick Fox and Khalid Jones, Fox said in an interview with ESPN in August.
'It did start off with Amit and myself really digging into the Gravity purchase,' he said at the time. 'Khalid Jones was a part of that as well. This was the original guys up at Amit's house in the [Hollywood] Hills, really just getting into the nuts and bolts and how to enter esports responsibly and respectfully.'
Last week, Fox issued an email obtained by Dexerto that detailed Fox's apparent intentions to 'exit the Echo Fox organization as a shareholder and participant as soon as I am able to facilitate a transaction to do so.'
In a statement released by Echo Fox on April 26 following that report from Dexerto, the team confirmed that Raizada's alleged use of racist language had been an issue multiple times in the past as well.
'Upon being made aware of the incidents, the Company [sic] has made various demands of the offending investor, including the investor's disassociation from the company and we [are] continuing to work diligently towards this end,' part of the statement read.
Rick Fox has been involved in esports since 2015, when he purchased a League of Legends team. Echo Fox subsequently moved across the gaming world, especially into fighting games.
Amit Raizada Twitter
In speaking to TMZ, Fox acknowledged and lamented that there in no further legal action that could be taken in such a case.
'The unfortunate thing is being a racist in America is not illegal, unfortunately,' Fox said. 'He has his own economic interests and his own rights. So, no one is going to trample on his rights.'
Amit Raizada Racist
Fox later posted a brief message on Twitter that read '#EndRacism.'
-- Field Level Media
Game On: Ex-Laker Rick Fox speaks at an Advertsing Week panel in September. Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images
Amit Raizada Rick Fox
Esports team owner Echo Fox has forfeited its role as a competitor in Riot Games Inc.'s lucrative League of Legends Championship Series after failing to sell the spot to another bidder, Riot said in a blog post Wednesday.
Echo Fox began exploring a sale of its spot in the tournament in May after Echo Fox investor Amit Raizada allegedly used racist language while speaking with team co-founder Rick Fox and former executive Jace Hall.
Riot said publicly that it had instructed Echo Fox to no longer associate with Raizada, or Riot Games would force the team owner to sell its franchise spot.
Chris Greeley, LCS head of league operations, wrote in a May 2019 statement that 'hate speech, threats, and bigotry have no place in the LCS.'
Echo Fox notified Riot Games last month that it planned to sell the spot to Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, but that deal was ultimately unsuccessful.
Riot Games is now stepping in to select an esports organization to take the vacant spot beginning Aug. 16, Greely said in a statement. According to the Riot statement, contenders will be evaluated based on their business plans, team operations and ownership profile before Riot makes a final decision.
'Our goal remains to have an orderly transition as we add a new LCS team ahead of the 2020 season,' Greely said in the statement.
'I have amazing partners, investors, sponsors that don't stand for this type of behavior,' Fox told TMZ in the interview published Friday. 'This has been my life. This has been my passion. I'm not looking to go anywhere, but I will not stay in business with a racist. I just won't.'
Echo Fox and Riot sources told ESPN the investor Fox is referring to is Amit Raizada, a co-founder of Echo Fox, who allegedly used the N-word to describe Hall during an internal dispute. Raizada is a partner in the esports organization's parent company, Vision Venture Partners, and founded Echo Fox along with Rick Fox and Khalid Jones, Fox said in an interview with ESPN in August.
'It did start off with Amit and myself really digging into the Gravity purchase,' he said at the time. 'Khalid Jones was a part of that as well. This was the original guys up at Amit's house in the [Hollywood] Hills, really just getting into the nuts and bolts and how to enter esports responsibly and respectfully.'
Last week, Fox issued an email obtained by Dexerto that detailed Fox's apparent intentions to 'exit the Echo Fox organization as a shareholder and participant as soon as I am able to facilitate a transaction to do so.'
In a statement released by Echo Fox on April 26 following that report from Dexerto, the team confirmed that Raizada's alleged use of racist language had been an issue multiple times in the past as well.
'Upon being made aware of the incidents, the Company [sic] has made various demands of the offending investor, including the investor's disassociation from the company and we [are] continuing to work diligently towards this end,' part of the statement read.
Rick Fox has been involved in esports since 2015, when he purchased a League of Legends team. Echo Fox subsequently moved across the gaming world, especially into fighting games.
Amit Raizada Twitter
In speaking to TMZ, Fox acknowledged and lamented that there in no further legal action that could be taken in such a case.
'The unfortunate thing is being a racist in America is not illegal, unfortunately,' Fox said. 'He has his own economic interests and his own rights. So, no one is going to trample on his rights.'
Amit Raizada Racist
Fox later posted a brief message on Twitter that read '#EndRacism.'
-- Field Level Media
Game On: Ex-Laker Rick Fox speaks at an Advertsing Week panel in September. Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images
Amit Raizada Rick Fox
Esports team owner Echo Fox has forfeited its role as a competitor in Riot Games Inc.'s lucrative League of Legends Championship Series after failing to sell the spot to another bidder, Riot said in a blog post Wednesday.
Echo Fox began exploring a sale of its spot in the tournament in May after Echo Fox investor Amit Raizada allegedly used racist language while speaking with team co-founder Rick Fox and former executive Jace Hall.
Riot said publicly that it had instructed Echo Fox to no longer associate with Raizada, or Riot Games would force the team owner to sell its franchise spot.
Chris Greeley, LCS head of league operations, wrote in a May 2019 statement that 'hate speech, threats, and bigotry have no place in the LCS.'
Echo Fox notified Riot Games last month that it planned to sell the spot to Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, but that deal was ultimately unsuccessful.
Riot Games is now stepping in to select an esports organization to take the vacant spot beginning Aug. 16, Greely said in a statement. According to the Riot statement, contenders will be evaluated based on their business plans, team operations and ownership profile before Riot makes a final decision.
'Our goal remains to have an orderly transition as we add a new LCS team ahead of the 2020 season,' Greely said in the statement.
Rick Fox began the process of divesting himself from the company in April, writing in a note to stakeholders that he would sell his shares and position in the general partnership, and 'move on the first deal that sits well.'
'I will not support or be associated with such behavior and attitudes displayed at the shareholder level,' Fox wrote, adding that 'racism is an anathema to what my personal brand strives for, and tolerating any form of discrimination such as this is not acceptable.'
The LCS is one of the oldest and most lucrative gaming tournaments and has given out roughly $3.5 million across 25 tournaments since its inception in 2013. Echo Fox has been a member of the LCS competition since 2016 and will receive 'the bulk of the proceeds from the sale' once it is completed, Riot said.
Tech reporter Samson Amore can be reached at samore@labusinessjournal.com or (323) 556-8335. Follow him on Twitter @samsonamore.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misidentified what entity Amit Raizada invested in. He invested in Echo Fox.
Amit Raizada Twitter Accounts
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