Learning esports and building teams – Gravitas just getting started

When you're a player, it's like you can have your blinkers on pretty much and it's the game focus. But stepping into this [GM role], it's like there are so many relationships you can make and so many people that you can help and can help you and it's the biggest thing I've learned.

Brandon Defina on what he has learned as Gravitas GM

Brandon “Juves” Defina began his sports journey as a soccer player at the university where he was studying Exercise Science. It was an injury that made him shift from contact sport to esports. At the time he was on rehab for his injury, Brandon will be home playing FIFA on the PlayStation with his friends. He was challenged by his friends to try League of Legends – the first game he ever played on a personal computer and the rest was history.

In 2015, Brandon played jungle for Sin Gaming, a League of Legends team in the Oceanic Pro League (OPL). He is well known by the name “Juves” in League of Legends, a name in reference to the Italian soccer club Juventus FC. Juves also played under a Mammoth jersey when the team acquired Sin Gaming in 2018.

Juves was also active in promoting mental health awareness for esports athletes. He was an athlete ambassador for Headspace in 2018 supporting mental health awareness for athletes.

In 2019, Juves became the General Manager of Gravitas, SG Esports' League of Legends team in the OPL.

• Connect with Brandon “Juves” Defina on Twitter @SINJuves, LinkedIn and Twitch
• Learn more about Gravitas on Twitter @GravitasOCE, Facebook, Instagram and Twitch
• Some related articles you might want to read:
  • Gravitas partners with Pickstar to connect fans with esports athletes
  • Brandon “Juves” Defina joins SG Esports
  • Esports as the new frontier of entertainment
  • Sports Geek joins OPL in 2019
• Some Sports Geek episodes you might be interested in:
  • Sports Geek OPL story
  • Daniel Ringland from Riot Games on esports growth
  • ESL's Nick Vanzetti on esports and the power of live events
  • Dave Harris from Dire Wolves on bringing high performance to esports

4:21 Brandon Defina chats about his sports background

7:33 The ecosystem of League of Legends

8:30 How Brandon aka “Juves” in the League of Legends space joined the pro league

13:51 What it was like to be managing Gravitas from a former player’s point of view

17:03 How did the Sports Geek processes and tools worked in building Gravitas

27:27 What does high performance looked like in esports

29:04 How Juves helps the Gravitas boys have the right mindset before the games

31:35 The challenges of having a new role and a new team

33:16 What were the wins and losses in the content point of view for Gravitas

39:43 Why Twitch is the primary streaming platform for gaming

47:00 Sports Geek Closing Five

53:43 Get the latest esports news and what brands are doing in the space. Sign up to SG Esports News on sgesports.com

54:08 Learn more about Gravitas on gravitas.gg

Memorable moments from Gravitas' first OPL split

Goofing around with the boys

Supporting OPL and Recall and Restore

Example of our Instagram stories, after just missing out on Gauntlet.

Support SG Esports team Gravitas playing on the OPL Season of the League of Legends. Stay in the loop and get the latest news about the team, players and the league. Visit gravitas.gg now.