Yesterday, news broke of a players-only NBA 2K20 tournament that was in the works. The NBA announced today that 16 players will participate in the event, with a USD $100,000 prize up for grabs.
NBA 2K20 Players-Only Tournament Field
Sixteen current NBA players will participate in the tournament that will start this coming Friday. The event will start at 7 PM EST with the tournament pre-show, and the first game is scheduled to start at 7:30 PM. All games up to and including the semifinals will be split between ESPN and ESPN2, with the finals airing on April 11 on ESPN.
2K Senior VP of Sports Strategy and Licensing Jason Argent expressed his excitement for the event to ESPN, saying “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.” He added, “Entertainment, especially sports, has the ability to bring communities together — including athletes, fans and families — and we hope that everyone will enjoy the tournament.”
Among the players who will participant in the event are Nets forward Kevin Durant, Hawks guard Trae Young, and Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell. The seeding of the tournament was determined based off of each player’s rating in NBA 2K20. Durant, who has a 96 rating in the game, will be the top seed.
Here are the players who will participate in the event, including their seeds and NBA 2K20 rating:
- Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets (96)
- Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks (90)
- Hassan Whiteside, Portland Trail Blazers (87)
- Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz (87)
- Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns (86)
- Andre Drummond, Cleveland Cavaliers (85)
- Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls (85)
- Montrezl Harrell, LA Clippers (85)
- Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Pacers (85)
- Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns (85)
- DeMarcus Cousins (81)
- Michael Porter Jr., Denver Nuggets (81)
- Rui Hachimura, Washington Wizards (79)
- Patrick Beverley, LA Clippers (78)
- Harrison Barnes, Sacramento Kings (78)
- Derrick Jones Jr., Miami Heat (78)
Here is the schedule for the tournament:
- Friday, April 3, ESPN, 7-8:30 p.m. ET
- Friday, April 3, ESPN2, 8:30-11:30 p.m. ET
- Sunday, April 5, ESPN2, 12-4 p.m. ET
- Quarterfinals: Tuesday, April 7, ESPN2, 7-11 p.m. ET
- Semifinals/Finals: Saturday, April 11, ESPN, Time TBD