The 17 NBA teams participating in the 'NBA 2K' esports league
Seventeen NBA teams signed on to participate in the NBA's first-ever gaming league -- the NBA 2K eLeague. The NBA 2K eLeague, expected to launch in 2018, will be the first esports league created by an existing sports league.
These 17 teams will sign players to compete under their banner in the NBA 2K eLeague, which mirrors the NBA schedule with a regular season, bracketed playoffs, and a championship.
Here are the 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
These are just the teams that have signed on for the inaugural season. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said on ESPN's Sports Center that eventually every team will be a part of the league.
Silver said that the teams-of-five competing in the league would have names similar to the teams they are competing under, except with an "e" prefix. So we could be seeing the Boston eCeltics taking on the Philadelphia e76ers next year.
Teams will have the opportunity to pick up players from around the globe at a draft, or they can sign players outside the draft.
A handful of teams participating in the first season of the NBA 2K eLeague are already involved in esports in some form. The Philadelphia 76ers own two esports franchises with pro teams competing in multiple games, the Miami Heat recently invested in an esports franchise, and Boston Celtics player Jonas Jerebko bought an esports franchise last summer. Additionally, the team owners of the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies, and Washington Wizards have invested in different esports team organizations.
