A new type of athlete officially became part of the NBA family this week, with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver crystallizing the league’s focus on esports and welcoming 102 gamers to the NBA 2K League at its official draft on Wednesday.
At Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater, Silver referred to the NBA 2K League, the first esports league operated by a professional sports league, as the NBA’s “fourth league” alongside the NBA, WBNA and G League. He said it wouldn’t be treated differently despite being based on Take-Two Interactive’s video game and not on the physical game itself.
“This is the fourth league in our family, and that’s exactly as we’re treating it: one more professional league,” Silver said.