On Thursday morning, NBA commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that 17 NBA teams will take part in the NBA 2K eLeague, to launch in February of 2018. Professional gamers from a “global pool of players” will be drafted onto these teams and compete against each other in 5-on-5 play as a “full-time job.”
"This is the first step in what promises to be an extraordinary league, bringing together the world's best gamers and showcasing elite competition on an international stage," NBA 2K esports league managing director Brendan Donohue said in a statement.