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April 4. 2018 brought a lot of excitement for gamers around the country. The top NBA 2K players joined together in the theater below the world’s most famous arena in New York City, and just like the NBA athletes they idolized growing up, these players became professionals when they were drafted into the NBA 2K League. The inaugural season is right around the corner and the draft did not disappoint.
For fans that were interested in the action, there was easy access to the stream on the NBA 2K League Twitter account. The draft began with NBA commissioner Adam Silver announcing the first pick in the draft. Silver is taking the NBA 2K League very seriously and has been a part of the planning since its infancy. He looks at this league as an equal to the other leagues under the NBA umbrella.
According to Imad Khan of ESPN, Adam Silver views the NBA 2K League as the “fourth in our family,” meaning it will go along with the NBA, WNBA, and G League. He continued on to say “It's something that we're going to develop over a very long time, and we're building this league as something that's going to be around forever.” This is exciting news for fans of the game and the league because the NBA is invested for the long haul.
The draft itself felt like every other professional sports league’s draft. Players were dressed to the nines and fans were excited to see where their favorite players were going to play. One of the more exciting prospects in the draft was Dimez, who went first overall to Dallas. That was no surprise to most in the NBA 2K League community.
This is what Dimez had to say about being drafted. “Well they are definitely getting a player and a winner, a proven leader and winner. My resume speaks for itself. I won the last years tournament, the $250,000 tournament, multiple tournaments this year, four in a row, the only player ever to win four in a row. So let’s get it, lets do it.” He has the confidence of the undisputed first overall pick. Dimez has been the name on the tip of people’s tongues since the league was announced.
From there a lot of the big names came off the board like oFAB, Yeah I Compete, and Mootyy. Those three names kept popping up when people were talking about the league. Mootyy even hopped on a podcast with the OTG Staff before the draft to talk about his journey.
Mootyy was ecstatic to be taken by Kings Gaming with the fourth pick in the draft. He had this to say right after being picked: “Look Mama, we made it! It’s surreal man, I didn’t think it was going to feel like this. The emotions going through, I don’t really have words. Turning your dreams into a reality is just so surreal.”
Another important figure that went in the first round was Goofy757. He went to the Knicks with the ninth pick in the draft. Entourage’s Jerry Ferrara made that pick. Ferrara is actually the head scout for Knicks gaming; adding some celebrity to these gaming teams is never a problem.
It was exciting for all of these players to get an opportunity to be drafted in the NBA 2K League. They have worked hard to get there and are truly some of the best in the world. It will be fun for the fans to get to know the players and their personalities better. Teams were looking to get the right fits for their styles and managed to do that through the draft. At this point it is tough to say who has the best team. Each team will have to build chemistry and go from there.
Overall, it is great to see these guys following their dreams. Godddof2K best summed up this whole process in an interview after CavsLegion drafted him in the third round. “Mom was telling me to get a job and go to school, I just love 2K.”He can now say that his hard work paid off and that it was not a waste of time.
For a list of all the draft picks for each team check out the NBA 2K League website. Get used to these names because these guys are going to be the ones you are rooting for in the league.