The rise of eSports and the NBA

For those of us who were born before the year 2000, this may seem like a surreal topic given that nothing like this was around when we were young. However, the field of eSports is on the rise worldwide, and the Pacers have been a part of it for some time along with the rest of the NBA. This is likely part of a larger play by the NBA to diversify its revenue streams as a younger generation seems to be more and more interested in competitive video game play.

Pacers gaming is part of a larger NBA 2k League

The NBA 2K League was founded in 2017, so it’s still relatively new. However, the Pacers have been a part relatively early since 2018. There are currently 22 teams in the NBA that have an associated eSports team with other independent teams also participating.

What does Pacers’ gaming even look like?

We are glad you asked. Have you ever played 2K yourself? Pacers gaming is essentially high-level players playing 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 2K games against other franchises in the NBA. Here are some videos of the Pacers gaming team winning against the Nets eSports team: Nets GC.

In their 5 years of existence, they have yet to win a championship, with the Washington Wizards eSports team: Washington District Gaming being the best team in the league so far. But Pacers gaming remains competitive year in and year out. The NBA has a multiple year partnership with twitch to stream the different NBA 2K League events as they happen.

Who are the current Pacers Gaming players?

As opposed to physical sports, players in the NBA 2K League often go by a screen name or nickname. The Pacers currently have 5 starting players on their gaming roster that go by the names: (1) Chess (2) Greenlight (3) Big Reign (4) JaySnags and (5) Range.

You can find the Pacers Gaming website here for more details.