This might be tough to hear for some jocks, but with the advanced metrics movement growing, nerds are a big part of sports these days. NBA teams, in particular, have begun to hire math-savvy, data-driven analysts--many with zero competitive basketball playing experience--to run team operations. And with the recent news that the US government considers professional video game players to be in the same industry as pro athletes, the once great divide between the jock and the nerd is shrinking, fast.

It is fitting, then, that Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey, one of the first so-called "geek NBA GMs," is helping to spearhead the pro-gaming movement. Morey has joined the board of directors of Major League Gaming, the largest e-sports league in the world. From the MLG press release:

“As a personal fan of eSports and a competitive gamer myself, I have been closely following the growth and evolution of MLG for years,” said Daryl Morey, GM of the Houston Rockets. “MLG has the potential to be one of the biggest sports media businesses in the future. I look forward to working with the MLG team as they continue to be pioneers in the digital world."

MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference