Former Evil Geniuses esports director Greg Kim named head of CLG

Esports executive Greg Kim has been appointed the new head of CLG for the rest of 2021 and beyond, Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. announced today.

He’ll be overseeing all business operations and working alongside MSG Sports’ vice president of business operations, Daniel Fleeter, as well as CLG co-founder HotshotGG to help push the team by launching greater business initiatives, enhancing fan engagement, and increasing the team’s business performance.

“As a New Yorker and a lifelong fan in both sports and gaming spaces, I couldn’t be more thrilled to join an esports organization as storied as CLG and to be affiliated with Madison Square Garden Sports, my hometown franchise,” Kim said in a team statement. “I’m excited to lead CLG into the future, and I look forward both to advancing the business and collaborating with our passionate fanbase to build further upon the organization’s legacy.”

Kim was previously the director of esports at Evil Geniuses, where he was responsible for competitive operations and strategy across the team’s multiple rosters. He also helped build the organization’s successful League of Legends roster, which is in fifth place right now in the 2021 LCS Summer Split. But they’re one of the hottest teams in the LCS with a five-game winning streak.

Before that, Kim worked at Riot Games as the LCS insights lead, where he helped manage date for League esports in North America. His multiple backgrounds in both esports management and data analysis will be useful in his goals with a team that’s needed some change over the past few years.

CLG’s League team hasn’t seen significant success since 2016 when they won the Summer Split championship and even made it to the 2016 MSI finals. The past three seasons have been rough, with the storied franchise finishing as a bottom-two team in the league. As a result, the addition of Kim should be a welcome one for any CLG fans who have maintained the faith for so long.