76ers Put Club Together For New NBA 2K eSports League
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Soon to suit up for the Philadelphia 76ers will be players that won't ever hit the hardwood. The game this team is playing is on a screen.
Chad Biggs, Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships and Activation at the Philadelphia 76ers, says "NBA 2K17 is the highest rated sports title in North America with close to nine million copies sold,"
Biggs, says they're one of 17 clubs putting together an eSports team to compete in a new league the NBA is starting next winter.
"They're going to be soliciting and securing players from not only North America but around the world," says Biggs. "Both men and women, and they will select the best players for the teams to draft later this year."
Philadelphia has a head start, last year, the team became the first to own its own franchise of eSports, or competitive video gaming.
For this NBA 2K league.
"Our team will be competing in live events here in the Philadelphia area, we will be doing grassroots gaming programming, and there will be many opportunities for our fans here to access the team, and to take part in some of our initiatives and our events. It's another way of engaging with our fans, of growing our fanbase here in Philadelphia, and of extending the Sixers brand to a new audience."