NBA 2K League player qualifying event starts on 1 January

Organisers of the new NBA 2K League have announced that a qualifying event will be held in January for players seeking to join the e-sports competition.

Starting in May 2018, 17 NBA franchises have signed up for the league’s first season. Potential players will first go through the NBA 2K League Qualifier from 1-31 January, tryouts in February and then a player draft in March.

The draft will then see the world’s best 85 NBA 2K players allocated to teams such as the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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Revealing details of the NBA 2K League Qualifier on Reddit, the league’s managing director Brendan Donohue said: “Playing ability is paramount. Players will not qualify based solely on social followers or marketability.”

About the NBA 2K League Qualifier

• When: 1-31 January
• Age of players: 18 and older
• Open to: anyone around the world who has a copy of NBA 2K18 (PlayStation 4 or Xbox One)

How the qualifying event works

NBA 2K League at a glance

• Launching: 2018
• Number of teams: 17 in year one
• Number of players: 85

Season schedule

• January: qualifying event for players
• February: tryouts for the 85 spots
• March: NBA 2K player draft
• May: start of the season

Participating teams

• Boston Celtics
• Cleveland Cavaliers
• Dallas Mavericks
• Detroit Pistons
• Golden State Warriors
• Indiana Pacers
• Memphis Grizzlies
• Miami Heat
• Milwaukee Bucks
• New York Knicks
• Orlando Magic
• Philadelphia 76ers
• Portland Trail Blazers
• Sacramento Kings
• Toronto Raptors
• Utah Jazz
• Washington Wizards