Michael Jordan Joins DraftKings Advisory Board, Takes Equity Stake in DFS and Sportsbook Operator
DraftKings Adds Michael Jordan to Their Team
Michael Jordan has taken an equity stake in DraftKings and will also join the company as a board advisor.
The company didn’t specify the size of Jordan’s holding. His equity interest comes in exchange for “providing guidance and strategic advice to the board of directors on key business initiatives,” DraftKings said in a statement.
His status as a special adviser to DraftKings’ Board of Directors is effective immediately.
Jordan will specifically “provide strategic and creative input to the board of directors on company strategy, product development, inclusion, equity and belonging, marketing activities and other key initiatives,” the company said.
“Michael Jordan is among the most important figures in sports and culture, who forever redefined the modern athlete and entrepreneur,” said DraftKings CEO Jason Robins.
“The strategic counsel and business acumen Michael brings to our board is invaluable.”
One NBA Game 7 Down, Another to Go
The eyes of the sports world were on the NBA last night, as the Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets met in the seventh game of their Western Conference Playoff series.
The Denver Nuggets outlasted the Utah Jazz in an 80-78 victory. After the game, Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell spoke about using his platform to promote social justice causes.
“I feel like I’ve used my voice in the best way possible, and I’m going to continue to use my voice back home. I implore everyone here -- they’ve been doing a great job -- to continue to push.”
Utah was the first team to be hit by the coronavirus as Mitchell and teammate Rudy Goebert both tested positive back in March. Those positive tests ultimately shut down the NBA season.
To find the latest sports betting and fantasy info, be a part of SI Fantasy PRO, and check out our full analysis on tonight’s matchups.
Daily Coronavirus Update
According to Johns Hopkins, There are over 25.8 million cases of the virus worldwide, with over 858,000 deaths.
The U.S. has surpassed 6 million cases with over 184,000 deaths.
According to ADP, private payrolls grew by 428,000 last month, which is well below the 975,000 expected from economists surveyed by FactSet, though still better than July’s 167,000 positions created.
ADP has faced criticism from some after the June and July ADP reports missed expectations, but the July jobs report came in far stronger than expected.
International clinical trials that were published Wednesday show that widely available and cheap steroids are able to help seriously ill COVID-19 patients survive the virus.
The World Health Organization strongly recommended that medical experts use the steroids on seriously ill patients with COVID-19 worldwide.
The studies, published in JAMA, pulled data from seven randomized clinical trials which evaluated three steroids being used on over 1,700 patients and the study found that each of the three steroids reduced the risk of death.
And Secretary of State Michael Pompeo defended the U.S.‘s decision to stay out of the WHO’s global campaign to develop and distribute a COVID-19 vaccine.
There are at least 172 countries negotiating to join the Covax program, which is the worldwide effort between both governments and manufacturers to develop the coronavirus vaccine. Nine potential vaccines have so far been evaluated, and, according to the WHO, nine more are still being tested.
This comes after President Trump blamed the WHO for failing to stop the pandemic earlier this year.
TheStreet’s Katherine Ross contributed to this report.
