Perlmutter is set to take the reins of both business and competition facets within the league, answering directly to a freshly-minted Board of Directors. This board boasts a roster of representatives hailing from notable organisations including the NBA, Take-Two Interactive, and 2K Games.
Chief Operating Officer of 2K Games Phil Dixon said the appointment of Perlmutter was a huge victory for the fledgling competition, with his experience and contacts set to expand the league’s footprint.
“The NBA 2K League’s success is built on the engaged community of viewers, players, and teams who all share a common passion for NBA 2K,” he said.
“Andrew’s experience in leading revenue growth and his seasoned business instincts will be an exciting asset as we continue to grow and expand the league.”
This executive reshuffling surfaces shortly after the league’s preceding President, Brendan Donohue, made his exit public. However, Donohue isn’t making an immediate departure; he is slated to conclude his tenure on October 31.
Perlmutter’s will begin as CEO on October 2, aligning seamlessly with the earlier disclosure that Donohue would be facilitating a smooth transition of leadership.
Perlmutter will interface with a constellation of industry heavyweights on the Board of Directors. Among them are Adam Silver, the Commissioner of the NBA; Salvatore LaRocca, the NBA President of Global Partnerships; Strauss Zelnick, the Chairman and CEO of Take-Two Interactive; and Phil Dixon, the Chief Operating Officer of 2K Games.
As delineated by the League, the ambit of Perlmutter’s responsibilities encompasses global expansion initiatives, fostering partnerships, orchestrating media and content distribution, engaging the community, and spearheading grassroots development efforts.
Distinct from his predecessor Donohue, Perlmutter’s professional trajectory isn’t steeped in the sports domain. Rather, his expertise is grounded in devising business strategies and catalysing revenue growth across a spectrum of industries. His resume includes a stint as the Chief Strategy Officer at ITRenew, a firm operating in the data center and technology sector.
Furthermore, he has been at the helm as General Manager and Vice President of Operations at both Newsweek and The Daily Beast.
]]>The collaboration means NBA players will endorse the league through various esports-related activities, including team promotions.
Founded jointly in 2018 by the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software, the NBA 2K League is an esteemed professional esports competition, with 25 franchises representing the NBA 2K basketball simulation series.
NBA 2K League is no stranger to high-profile collaborations, having previously secured partnerships with industry giants like Google, AT&T, and Sony Interactive Entertainment.
The NBPA, established in 1954, serves as the union for present-day professional NBA players. With its foundational pillars being to uphold players’ rights, voice their opinions, and encourage their positive influence on sports and society globally, the association plays a crucial role.
This synergy between the NBA 2K League and the NBPA was orchestrated by THINK450, the NBPA’s commercial arm. Tasked with handling the licensing rights for the NBA’s 450 players, THINK450 is dedicated to forging innovative alliances that align the interests of players, brands, and fans alike.
Josh Goodstadt, THINK450’s Chief Commercial Officer, expressed his enthusiasm about the joint venture.
“We are thrilled to team up with the NBA 2K League to bring new opportunities for our players to engage and interact with a game that so many of them love,” he said.
“This first-of-its-kind partnership between a players’ association and an esports league reflects our players’ passion for gaming, and we are excited to bring it all to life this coming season.”
It’s worth noting that the NBA 2K League has been at the forefront of major partnerships in the basketball esports arena recently.
In June, they inked a multiyear agreement with the International Basketball Association (FIBA).
Following closely, NBA 2K’s creators declared One Up as the official on-demand esports platform for the series in another long-term contract.
So far to date, NBA 2K League has very limited betting available on it, but it would not surprise if esports betting sites launched markets on the next edition.
]]>Dallas Fuel Complete Overwatch Rebuild
The Dallas Fuel have been on an extensive rebuild of their Overwatch squad, and it appears they have signed their final player to round out the team. Ki-hyo “Xzi” Jung is the last piece of their puzzle, and he will join forces with his former Paris Eternal teammates.
Xzi has proven himself to be an impeccable player in the past, but only time will tell if this roster can work together to pull the Fuel through the rankings. It is too early to say whether this latest acquisition to have an effect on the team’s odds at Overwatch betting sites.
Asia esports news
Hyhy Comes Out of Dota 2 Retirement
Benedict Lim “Hyhy” Han Yong has announced his return to the world of Dota 2 esports. This marks the second time he’s coming out of retirement, and we’re excited to see what he will bring to the game.
The Singaporean is yet to sign to a team but has joined the Emerge agency, which helps esports players find a job. Regardless of where he finds a new home, HyHy will surely shift their odds across Dota2 bookmakers. One of his most significant accomplishments was landing the third position at The International 2011.
Africa esports news
ATK Arena Host Successful Fortnite Solos
Over the weekend, South Africa’s ATK Arena hosted a Fortnite Solo tournament, open to fans and professionals alike. The total prize pool was R10,000, and it proved a massive success. The regular events that ATK host give us an insight on up-and-coming talent.
With the results in, the top player was Goliath Gaming’s Travis, which many South African betting sites predicted. He is one of the leading Fortnite players in the country, both when he’s playing on a team and individually.
Europe esports news
Gambit Dominate DreamHack Open qualifying
Gambit Esports came out on top of the recent DreamHack Open European Qualifier.In a field of more than 200 Counter-Strike teams, the Danish side left the contest as number one as they cruised through the single-elimination bracket without losing a map.
Thus far, only three other teams have a spot at the eight-team tournament. KOVA, out of the Finnish Telia Esports Series Three, have secured their place alongside Apeks, who were the winners of the Norwegian league, and Flowskola, who came through the Swedish qualifiers.
South America esports news
CS: GO Heavyweights to Clash in Flow Fire League
Infinity Esports, ranked 162nd in the world, are set to meet the Peruvian Supremacy eSports team on Wednesday, November 18th.
The Flow Fire League features best-of-three contests and a grand final. Supremacy have won four of their last five matches, beating Infinity once and losing to them once.
The winner will go through to the regionals. The first prize at the regional finals is US $3000, with second place settling for $1,500.
Oceania esports news
Australia down Philippines at FIBA Esports Open II
E-Gilas Pilipinas, the Philippines national esports team, left many fans disappointed despite being installed as NBA 2K betting favorites for their clash with Australia in the grand final of the Oceania & Southeast Asia conference at the FIBA Esports Open II.
They initially wowed spectators with their dominant performance in the elimination rounds. However, their luck fell short as they fell to their knees when facing the Aussies in the conference decider.
Australia’s team clinched second spot during the group stage, but they brought all of their might to the final and clinched the conference title with a 2-0 series win.
]]>Following impressive performances against Kings Guard Gaming and Warriors Gaming Squad in the first two rounds of the playoffs, T-Wolves showed their strength once more when they took on the 76ers in the first-ever NBA 2K finals series to go to five games.
The Minnesota franchise started in the best possible way, grabbing a 17-9 lead after the first quarter. That lead only grew in the remaining three quarters as T-Wolves stormed to a 71-36 win.
In game two, the 76ers woke up and looked like a completely different team. Their impressive work in defence kept Wolves at only four points in the first quarter and only nine in the second. The Philadelphia side did not have problems scoring and took an impressive 31-13 lead at the halftime. The second half was even more lopsided as the 76ers squared the series with a 70-23 scoreline.
Technical difficulties ahead of game three meant the teams had over three hours to cool down and prepare the game plan. That seemed to benefit T-Wolves more than the 76ers, who failed to repeat their success from previous game and lost 47-56.
Philly needed to win game four to keep the series alive, and they did not disappoint. A close match ended with a 53-46 win for the 76ers, who emerged as the better team in the final quarter by outscoring their opponents by 15-6.
The decisive game five brought out the best out of both teams in a game worthy of being called the finals. Following a close third quarter, T-Wolves pulled away in the fourth and secured a 52-35 win to seal the NBA 2K League title and US $360,000 prize money.
Michael “BearDaBeast” Key, the former college basketball player at Piedmont International University and now T-Wolves point guard, emerged as the 2019 NBA 2K League Finals MVP with 23 points and six assists in game five.
“What was my purpose of being there?” is the question that went through Anselimo’s mind when he found himself in a position no one would like to be in.
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In August 2018, we were witness to a tragic incident in Jacksonville when NFL Madden player David Katz carried out the first-ever mass shooting at an esports event. He took two lives, injured two players and in the end pointed the gun on himself.
On that day, the esports world lost Elijah Clayton and Taylor Robertson. One of the players who can be happy he survived was Anselimo, who was left with a shot wound to his chest and a serious injury to his hand.
At that time, oLARRY was one of the best NBA 2K players in the world. He was drafted in the inaugural season of the NBA 2K League by Bucks Gaming, where he made a name for himself with exceptional performances in the defence as well as showing his leadership skills.
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Only a week after the NBA 2K season ended, Anselimo decided to attend the NFL Madden tournament in Jacksonville. But the event, which was made to bring people together, soon turned dark.
Despite his critical condition, doctors managed to save Anselimo’s life and later focused on his thumb. The nature of the injury left his once-promising NBA 2K career in tatters.
Only a few weeks later, oLARRY was told he would not be playing for Bucks Gaming the following season; however, he would still return to the expansion draft. He was given another chance when he was picked up by Minnesota, who later traded him to Cleveland.
Despite his injury, oLARRY remained positive. He did, however, had to change the way he uses the controller. Instead of using his thumb, which may never fully recover, he adjusted his style and now uses his index finger instead.
It is a huge change, but a change he needed to make to keep playing his favourite game.
]]>It would be hard to believe, right?
Well, that’s exactly what’s happening tomorrow as Nike continues to cater more and more to its demographic in the world of gaming.
The apparel giant will provide a live stream from its Nike HQ in New York from 9am, with a number of special guests on to discuss the new shoe.
Believe it or not, this is not the first time Nike has used Twitch to reveal a new product.
In 2015, riding a wave of incredible popularity in NBA 2k16, former Cleveland super star Kyrie Irving debuted his new basketball shoe, the Kyrie 2, on a Twitch Stream.
The thinking behind Nike’s marketing strategy is not rocket science.
There is a clear and direct correlation between basketball, the popularity of EA’s NBA title, a love for the fashion behind basketball shoes and a young demographic.
Nike is not the only company to turn to eSports recently to grow its customer base and reach a younger audience.
Puma recently signed on with League of Legends team, Cloud9, while Adidas also inked a sponsorship deal last year.
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