With new federal guidelines extending the CDC recommendation that no gatherings of over 10 people take place through April 30, the NBA’s hopeful return likewise now has to look to June at the earliest, given that the ban on gatherings would include team facilities.
As such, the league and its broadcast partners are looking at other ways to fill the time, and with the success NASCAR is seeing with its iRacing events being broadcast on FS1, it appears the NBA is looking into similar opportunities with NBA 2K20. Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes reports that the league is hoping to launch a 2K Tournament featuring NBA players this coming weekend, with the games being broadcast on ESPN.
The NBA is planning a players-only NBA2K tournament that will feature the league’s sharpest video gamers and it will be broadcast on ESPN, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
The league hopes to launch the event Friday, with the tournament including some big-name players, sources said.
Haynes’ report doesn’t feature much in the way of details, but given the popularity of 2K among NBA players it shouldn’t be too hard to get guys on board, including some star caliber names. He later noted that each team is expected to have a representative in the tournament.
The question will be whether NBA players playing 2K games will draw in eyeballs similar to the NASCAR races, given that the simulations are not apples to apples — NASCAR’s virtual events allow drivers to be in a car setup, actually driving, rather than just using a video game controller. Still, it’s a creative way to fill some broadcast gaps, while also allowing guys an outlet for their competitive juices. We’ll keep you updated on who is in the tournament and all the details on when games will take place whenever an official announcement comes down.