NBA to Tip Off e-Sports League

The National Basketball Association and Take-Two Interactive Software have joined forces to launch a professional competitive gaming league for basketball gamers.

April 6, 2018

NBA 2K eLeague will debut in 2018 as the first official e-sports league operated by a U.S. pro sports organization.

The new league, called NBA 2K eLeague, will consist of teams operated by actual NBA franchises. The new league will also follow a professional sports league format–competing head-to-head throughout a regular season, participating in bracketed playoff games and concluding with a championship game.

The founding teams, each consisting of five professional e-sports players who will play with user-created avatars, will be announced in the coming months.

Additionally, NBA 2K eLeague will be the first official e-sports league operated by a U.S. professional sports league.

“We are proud to expand our strong relationship with the NBA and co-create the

NBA 2K eLeague,” says Strauss Zelnick, chairman and chief executive officer, Take-Two. “Through the NBA 2K series, which is renowned throughout the world for capturing the authenticity of the

NBA and the passion of its fans, we have a proven track record of highly successful collaboration. With this new venture, Take-Two and the NBA aim to fuel the accelerating growth of e-sports and take the thrill of competition to exciting new heights.”

NBA 2K eLeague is set to debut in 2018.

“We believe we have a unique opportunity to develop something truly special for our fans and the young and growing e-sports community,” says Adam Silver, commissioner, NBA. “We look forward to combining our best-in-class NBA sports team operators with Take-Two’s competitive gaming expertise to create a brand-new league experience.”