Kevin Durant and Trae Young top seeds in 16-player tournament
Wednesday 1 April 2020 06:18, UK
The NBA, 2K and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced the 'NBA 2K Players Tournament', an NBA 2K20 gameplay tournament featuring 16 current NBA players.
Beginning on Friday, April 3, players - including top seeds Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets and Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks - will compete in a single-elimination, player-only tournament on Xbox One.
The winner will be crowned the ultimate NBA 2K20 champion and select a charity beneficiary to receive a $100,000 donation from 2K, the NBA and the NBPA in support of ongoing coronavirus relief efforts.
"We're thrilled to partner with the NBA and NBPA to bring basketball back to fans throughout the world and to help those in need during these uncertain times," said Jason Argent, 2K senior vice president, sports strategy and licensing.
"Entertainment, especially sports, has the ability to bring communities together - including athletes, fans and families - and we hope that everyone will enjoy the tournament."
"We are excited to tip off the first 'NBA 2K Players Tournament' in partnership with the NBPA and 2K, continuing an ongoing effort to stay connected with NBA fans around the world, while also giving back in this time of need," said Matt Holt, NBA senior vice president of global partnerships.
"This tournament offers a unique opportunity for our players to compete with one another while also supporting their philanthropic efforts and engaging with their fans," said Josh Goodstadt, executive vice president of licensing for THINK450, the commercial arm of the NBPA. "We are excited to work with 2K and the NBA to bring this experience to life for the entire NBA community."
Based on players' seeding - which is determined first by NBA 2K rating, second by tenure - players will go head-to-head online in NBA 2K20.
Prior to the tournament beginning, every player will choose eight of today's NBA teams, each of which can only be used once. If a mirror match is set, the away team is awarded first choice of team. Rounds one and two will be single elimination, while the semi-finals and finals will be best-of-three series.
1. Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets (96)
2. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks (90)
3. Hassan Whiteside, Portland Trail Blazers (87)
4. Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz (87)
5. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns (86)
6. Andre Drummond, Cleveland Cavaliers (85)
7. Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls (85)
8. Montrezl Harrell, LA Clippers (85)
9. Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Pacers (85)
10. Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns (85)
11. DeMarcus Cousins (81)
12. Michael Porter Jr., Denver Nuggets (81)
13. Rui Hachimura, Washington Wizards (79)
14. Patrick Beverley, LA Clippers (78)
15. Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings (78)
16. Derrick Jones Jr, Miami Heat (78)
*Participating players subject to change.
The tournament begins in the early hours of April 4 (UK time) with a match-up between Jones Jr (16) and Durant (1) tipping off at 12:30am. Jones Jr. and Durant will each play as one of their pre-selected teams, with Jones Jr choosing from the Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, LA Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, and Durant choosing from the Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, LA Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz.
Additional match-ups will through until April 12 and will be streamed on the NBA App, and 2K and NBA social channels including Twitter (@NBA2K, @NBA), Twitch (@NBA2K, @NBA), YouTube (@NBA2K, @NBA) and Facebook (@NBA2K, @NBA).
Fans can follow NBA 2K, NBA and NBPA for tune-in information, game commentary and game highlights, and they can join the conversation with #NBA2KTourney.
