The NBA’s new 2K eSports league will begin in May with a draft of eSports players by the 17 participating teams in March, 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue told website Engadget in a recent interview.
The league will be made up of 17 teams sponsored by NBA franchises and run in conjunction with Take-Two Interactive, the developer of the NBA 2K series.
Each team will select five eSports players, who will in turn be members of the NBA franchises just as on-court athletes are.
The NBA teams involved include the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Golden State Warriors, the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards.
Donohue said “four or five” other of the 30 NBA franchises have also expressed interest in the league.
“We would expect to expand pretty quickly,” he told the website.
The league still has to decide on issues such as the gaming platform it will use, how tryouts for players will be conducted, and how the games will be streamed to spectators, Donohue said.
