Jump to content

NBA 2K League

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 43.247.66.161 (talk) at 05:45, 11 October 2022 (→Teams). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

NBA 2K League
GameNBA 2K
FoundedFebruary 9, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-02-09)
New York City, New York, U.S.[1][2]
First season2018
Owner(s)NBA 2K League, LLC.
(NBA (50%)
Take-Two Interactive (50%)
CommissionerBrendan Donohue
No. of teams25
CountriesUnited States (21 teams)
Canada (1 team)
China (1 team)
Mexico (1 team)
Australia (1 team)
HeadquartersNew York City, New York
Most recent
champion(s)		Pistons GT (3V3), Bucks Gaming (5V5)
(2022)
Most titlesWizards District Gaming (2 titles) (5V5), Pistons GT (1 title) (3V3)
TV partner(s)
Official website2kleague.nba.com

The NBA 2K League (NBA2KL or simply 2K League) is an esports league joint venture between the National Basketball Association and Take-Two Interactive. The league was announced on February 9, 2017.[1] On May 4, 2017, it was revealed that 17 of the 30 NBA teams would have their own NBA 2K League team during the inaugural season in 2018.[2] As of 2022, there are 22 NBA teams that have 2K League Teams, while two international teams also compete in the league without being affiliated with any NBA teams.

Broadcast partners

On April 18, 2018, the NBA 2K League and Twitch announced a multiyear partnership to live stream all games.[3] The inaugural season began on May 1, 2018, and on August 25, 2018, Knicks Gaming won the inaugural 2K League championship. For season 2, the rights to live stream the league's games went to YouTube and Twitch the second season began on April 16, 2019, and ended on August 3, with T-Wolves Gaming winning the championship.

NBA 2K and ESPN agreed to broadcast the games on ESPN2 and the ESPN App for the league's third season. The third season was planned to start on March 31, 2020, but the season was postponed to May 5, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic with the first 15 weeks being played remotely, including the Ticket, the final in-season tournament.[4]

In 2022 Stadium, NBA TV and the league agreed to broadcast select championship games

History and format

The inaugural season lasted for 17 weeks, beginning with the tip-off tournament from May 1–5, with the first weekly matchups taking place on May 11–12. There was an additional two tournaments during the season before the playoffs began on August 17, concluding with the NBA 2K League Finals on August 25. All games were live-streamed on Twitch and available to view on demand after the live broadcasts.[3]

The league used Pro-Am mode for the games, which consisted of 5-on-5 matches where players used archetypes with preset skills instead of their own MyPlayer or NBA players to keep the ratings similar to everyone.[5][6]

A special build of the newest NBA 2K game is used for the league, with equipment provided by Alienware and Intel.[7] HyperX is the league's headset sponsor, while Scuf Gaming provides controllers for all matches.[8] To go along with the league sponsors, each team also has various sponsors and displays the logos of the sponsors on their in-game uniforms. All games are played at the NBA 2K League Studio in New York.[6]

In September 2020, the league designed a new draft system for the 2021 season.[9]

In August 2021, the league announced that in-person events would return to play during the 2021 playoffs, which was held August 26–28, 2021.[10][11] Also in August, the league announced its first all-star game that was played on September 25.[12][13]

For the fifth season, the league removed the traditional league play in favor of extra tournaments that would help eventually determine the champion. Each team will still play roughly the same amount of games as they would have, but now each game has more stakes than before.[14] The season will consist of six tournaments throughout the season followed by the playoffs in Indianapolis, Indiana. Only one of the tournaments, the Banner Chain, as well as the playoffs, will feature exclusively league teams. The other tournaments can feature non league teams, including amateur players. The season will include 3v3 tournaments to allow amateurs a chance to play against the pros.[14]

Player eligibility and benefits

Initial season

In order to qualify for the league draft, a player needed to be over the age of 18 and own NBA 2K on either PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. Players had to win a number of games in Pro-Am mode and submit an application.[5] Following that, the players who qualified participated in a combine that ran from February 2–21, 2018.[15] Only a select number of applicants received invites to the draft.[16] The NBA 2k league has announced a new tryout process for the upcoming 2021 season.[17]

All players signed six-month contracts and will have their relocation and housing costs covered by the league, as well as benefits such as medical insurance and a retirement plan. Food, transportation, and housing will also be covered during the season when teams travel for games.[18]

Players drafted in the first round will make $35,000, while the rest of the players will make $32,000. There will be four other opportunities throughout the season to win money as $1 million will be split between three tournaments and the league championship. Players are also allowed to sign endorsement deals to earn extra income.[6][18]

Teams

On December 11, 2017, the official logo for the NBA 2K League was revealed,[19] with the logos for each of the 17 teams being revealed over the course of the following days.[20][21][22] On August 15, 2018, it was announced that the league would expand to 21 teams in 2019 with the addition of teams from Atlanta, Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and Minnesota.[23] The league grew to 23 teams in 2020 with the additions of Charlotte[24] and Gen.G, the first team outside of North America.[25] The league expanded to Mexico in 2022 with the addition of Dux Gaming, who became the 24th team in the league.[26] The league will expand to Australia in 2023 with the introduction of NBL Oz Gaming, operated by Australia's National Basketball League, as the 25th team.[27]

Team NBA team owner Inaugural season 3V3 Championships 5V5 Championships
76ers GC Philadelphia 76ers 2018 -
Blazer5 Gaming Portland Trail Blazers 2018 -
Bucks Gaming Milwaukee Bucks 2018 - 1 (2022)
Cavs Legion GC Cleveland Cavaliers 2018 -
Celtics Crossover Gaming Boston Celtics 2018 -
Dux Gaming None 2022 -
Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai None 2020 -
Grizz Gaming Memphis Grizzlies 2018 -
Hawks Talon GC Atlanta Hawks 2019 -
Hornets Venom GT Charlotte Hornets 2020 -
Heat Check Gaming Miami Heat 2018 -
Jazz Gaming Utah Jazz 2018 -
Kings Guard Gaming Sacramento Kings 2018 -
Knicks Gaming New York Knicks 2018 - 1 (2018)
Lakers Gaming Los Angeles Lakers 2019 -
Magic Gaming Orlando Magic 2018 -
Mavs Gaming Dallas Mavericks 2018 -
NBL Oz Gaming None 2023 -
Nets GC Brooklyn Nets 2019 -
Pacers Gaming Indiana Pacers 2018 -
Pistons GT Detroit Pistons 2018 1 (2022) -
Raptors Uprising GC Toronto Raptors 2018 -
T-Wolves Gaming Minnesota Timberwolves 2019 - 1 (2019)
Warriors Gaming Squad Golden State Warriors 2018 -
Wizards District Gaming Washington Wizards 2018 - 2 (2020, 2021)

References

  1. ^ a b "NBA and Take-Two to launch 'NBA 2K eLeague'". National Basketball Association. February 9, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "17 NBA teams to take part in inaugural NBA 2K esports league in 2018". National Basketball Association. May 4, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  3. ^ a b "NBA 2K League to Tip Off Inaugural Season on Twitch". NBA 2K League. April 18, 2018. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  4. ^ Lawler, Richard (March 13, 2020). "The NBA's esports league postpones 2020 season due to coronavirus". Engadget. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Mazique, Brian (December 5, 2017). "NBA 2K League: How To Qualify, Salary Info, Draft Process, Twitter Account, Rules And More". Forbes. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c Kennedy, Alex (April 4, 2018). "FAQ: Everything you need to know about the new NBA 2K League". HoopsHype. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  7. ^ Sarkar, Samit (April 3, 2018). "NBA 2K League games to be played on PC, not PS4 or Xbox One". Polygon. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  8. ^ Mitrevski, Lydia (May 1, 2018). "Scuf Gaming becomes official controller of NBA 2K League". Esports Insider. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
  9. ^ "NBA 2KL Draft Prospect Series". NBA 2K League. Retrieved 2020-11-07.
  10. ^ "THE TICKET POWERED BY AT&T FACT SHEET". NBA 2K League. Retrieved 2021-08-14.
  11. ^ "NBA 2K League Returns To In-Person Games With 2021 NBA 2K League Playoffs Delivered With DoorDash". NBA 2K League. Retrieved 2021-08-14.
  12. ^ "NBA 2K League Returns To In-Person Games With 2021 NBA 2K League Playoffs Delivered With DoorDash". NBA 2K League. Retrieved 2021-08-14.
  13. ^ "NBA 2K LEAGUE TO HOST INAUGURAL ALL-STAR GAME". NBA 2K League. Retrieved 2021-08-14.
  14. ^ a b Scribner, Herb (April 4, 2022). "The NBA 2K League is changing for you". DesertNews. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  15. ^ "Introducing the NBA 2K League Combine". NBA 2K League. January 25, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  16. ^ Youngmisuk, Ohm (April 3, 2018). "Commissioner Adam Silver to announce 1st pick at NBA 2K League draft". ESPN. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
  17. ^ "NBA 2K League Announces New Tryout Process for Season 4". NBA 2K League. Retrieved 2020-12-14.
  18. ^ a b "$1 Million Prize Pool for Inaugural NBA 2K League Season". NBA 2K League. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
  19. ^ "NBA 2K League Unveils Logo". NBA 2K League. December 11, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  20. ^ "Team Logos Revealed: Part I". NBA 2K League. December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  21. ^ "Team Logos Revealed: Part II". NBA 2K League. December 13, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  22. ^ "Team Logos Revealed: Part III". NBA 2K League. December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 16, 2017.
  23. ^ "NBA 2K League Announces Four Expansion Teams for 2019 Season". NBA 2K League. August 15, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2018.
  24. ^ "Hornets Sports & Entertainment Announces New NBA 2K League Team Will Be Known As Hornets Venom GT". NBA 2K League. June 27, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  25. ^ "NBA 2K League Announces Gen.G to Launch Shanghai Team". NBA 2K League. September 26, 2019. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  26. ^ "NBA 2K League Expands To Mexico And Adds 24th Team In Partnership With Dux Gaming". NBA 2K League. September 29, 2021. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  27. ^ "NBL Launches NBA 2K League Team". NBL. 7 October 2022. Retrieved 7 October 2022.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NBA_2K_League&oldid=1115383004"