The National Basketball Association are looking to stay ahead of the curve and tap into the exploding world of online gaming. Seventeen teams from the NBA will be part of the upcoming 2K League, a competition it created in partnership with the developer of the popular NBA 2K series. The new eSports league will kickoff its first season in May 2018. It’s a big deal for the gamers, and an innovative move by the NBA to expand its market.
Beginning in early 2018, gamers will start competing in “qualifiers” for a chance to be selected in early spring by the 17 NBA teams participating in the first-ever professional eSports league. Each team will be made up of five basketball gamers who will represent the NBA team. They’ll be official members of their respective organizations, which means they will get a contract and sponsorship deals, just like NBA players do.