The NBA 2K League on Thursday (AEDT) conducted its inaugural draft, a major production at New York's Madison Square Garden in which 102 players were spread across 17 NBA-backed teams . Play will begin in May and conclude in August.
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The players involved in the league will be paid a salary and receive benefits for the length of their six-month contracts, as gaming essentially becomes their job. The NBA 2K League is much more involved than any previous attempts at esports with sports video games, and it is viewed as a long-term investment.
2K League players will earn $32,000-$35,000 over 6 months (plus whatever they win from the $1,000,000 prize pool). Players get health insurance and retirement plan too. Housing is also provided and relocation costs are covered (since they're moving to whichever city drafts them).
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) April 4, 2018
"From the NBA standpoint, this is our fourth league," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. "We have the NBA, (the) WNBA and the G League. And now this is the fourth league in our family, and that's exactly how we're treating it."
NBA 2K League 2018 Draft
FIRST ROUND
1. Mavs Gaming: Dimez (Artreyo Boyd)
2. Celtics Crossover Gaming: oFAB (Albano Thomallari)
3. Jazz Gaming: Yeah I Compete (Shaka Browne)
4. Kings Guard Gaming: Mootyy (Mitchell Franklin)
5. Pistons GT: Lets Get It Ramo (Ramo Radoncic)
6. Blazer5 Gaming: OneWildWalnut (Dayne Downey)
7. Heat Check Gaming: Hotshot (Juan Gonzalez)
8. Magic Gaming: KontruL (Christopher Cantrell)
9. Knicks Gaming: G O O F Y 7 5 7 (Dayvon Curry)
10. Bucks Gaming: DRAKE GRIFFIN (Aaron Rookwood)
11. Raptors Uprising GC: Kenny (Kenneth Hailey)
12. Wizards District Gaming: Fresh Prince JT (Johnathon Fields)
13. Pacers Gaming: WoLF (Bryant Colon)
14. 76ers GC: Radiant (Ethan White)
15. Grizz Gaming: Winner_Stayz_On (Larell Mitchell)
16. Cavs Legion GC: Hood is Glitchy (Brandon Caicedo)
17. Warriors Gaming: Squad Shawn_Win (Trong Nguyen)
(Complete results from the six-round draft can be found here .)
Teams selected one player at each position (point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, center) over the first five rounds. In the sixth round, they selected a second player at the position of their choice. Participants control pre-built characters with their own unique strengths and weaknesses rather than actual NBA players.
While esports has exploded in some corners, it has struggled to gain traction with sports video games. Low viewership numbers and several controversies have damaged already shaky credibility. Ultimately, the competitions being broadcast have to compete with and be compared to the real-life sports they represent. That isn't a concern for the games that do draw huge numbers in esports that are based more in fantasy than simulation.
The NBA 2K League, then, presents the first real opportunity for a sports game to break out. The support of the NBA — and real ties to its teams — provides instant legitimacy and natural rooting interests. The 5-on-5 format will also make it more compelling to watch, as communication and teamwork will be key. Fans can get behind a team rather than just individuals playing for money.
The streaming numbers for the NBA 2K League Draft were middling, but expectations shouldn't have been high. A draft isn't going to be interesting to watch unless potential viewers know who's being drafted. Future drafts should show considerable growth, as knowledge of the players will be higher and the league's demands of them will be better understood.
The 2K League hasn't been able to escape controversy, either.
The player selection process has been attacked heavily by participants who believe it wasn't truly an open competition, which is what was advertised. Naturally, the process was going to face criticism as the league chose from tens of thousands of hopefuls in a manner that was at least partially subjective.
In a separate incident, racially insensitive tweets from Dallas general manager Roger Caneda were discovered and circulated on social media. Caneda has since been moved to a different role with the team.
The real test for the NBA 2K League will be drawing viewers in May when the action finally gets underway. The opportunity is there for the 2K League to succeed over the summer months when the NBA is on break. Overall, the challenge remains for sports games to overcome preconceived notions and compete for eyeballs with the top-level sports they are meant to replicate.
Bryan Wiedey posts sports gaming news and analysis daily at Pastapadre.com, is co-founder of the sports gaming site HitThePass.com, hosts the "Press Row Podcast" and can be reached on Twitter @Pastapadre .