The Los Angeles Lakers are joining the world of egaming, as they will be one of four new teams in the NBA 2K League.
The Los Angeles Lakers have had an eventful offseason. They signed LeBron James in free agency, making the organization relevant again after some struggles in recent seasons. Los Angeles has missed the playoffs for five consecutive seasons, but they will look to end that streak with their new-look roster.
The Lakers will not be the only team carrying that name that will look to make some noise this season. They will also have a new team in the NBA 2K League looking to find success in their first season.
It was announced that the Lakers will be one of four franchises to join the 2K League for this upcoming season. In addition to the Lakers, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets will also have new teams.
The organizations will create affiliated brands that are similar to their NBA franchises.
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The inaugural season of the NBA 2K League featured 17 teams, which began this past May. The season will conclude on August 25th with the finals event being held in New York.
A statement was released by NBA 2K League managing director Brendan Donohue.
"“Welcoming these four world-class organizations and their passionate fanbases to the NBA 2K League is an exciting moment not only for the league, but for the entire 2K community,” NBA 2K League managing director Brendan Donohue said in a statement Wednesday. “From their innovative spirit to their global reach, we know each of these teams will be a tremendous addition, and we are thrilled that this growth offers the opportunity for new players, coaches and support staff to join the league.”"
The newest version of 2K, NBA 2K19, is set to be released on Sept. 11th. The expansion draft for the newest franchises is expected to be held on Sept. 28 according to sources.
Like the teams that joined for the inaugural season, the newest franchises will have an expansion fee of $750,000 for three years of participation.
The early returns, according to ESPN, on the NBA 2K League have been mixed. However, with more franchises joining in, it must be doing enough that more teams are committing to it for three years.