NBA 2K League player qualifying event starts on 1 January
Players will try out for a spot in the NBA’s new e-sports league

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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
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