Getting Ready For Season Three of the NBA 2K League and Beyond
By Justin M. Jacobson, Esq.
As the fifth season of the NBA 2K League starts, the excitement for the upcoming release of NBA 2K23 as well as the sixth season of the NBA 2K League has caused many aspiring gaming professionals to begin planning how to best pursue a career in “the league” as well as the best course of action for competitive gameplay in NBA 2K2 video game series.
While there is no sure-fire path or method to earn a spot in the NBA 2K League, there are a variety of important things that a gamer should be aware of when starting on this professional path. Similar to the last two years, there will be prerequisites established by the league; and, presumptively, there will be another player “combine process” for statistical evaluation purposes. When preparing for this player recruitment process one of the biggest on-going debates has been between which gaming console is the preferred gaming system, Xbox or Playstation. While both systems provide their own benefits, in recent years, there has been a large shift of the top competitive 2K players to Xbox but this changes every year so playing on both consoles never hurts. In this regard, many more of the top competitive NBA 2K players might have Xbox and not own a Playstation than those top players who have a Playstation and do not have an Xbox. In an effort to consolidate the competitive landscape and ensure that all the top players consistently play each other, it may be advantageous for individuals attempting to seriously try to make “the league” to play and build their “MyCareer” players on just one console, Xbox. This also includes playing on the most recent generation consoles, including Playstation 5.
In addition to attempting to unify the different consoles to ensure that the best consistently play against the best, many current NBA 2K League employees and personnel solely utilize and compete on Xbox but some do not. This includes Heat Check Gaming General Manager and Head Coach, Derric “FamousEnough” Franklin, who had previously stated that “I don’t have a PS4 [Playstation 4].” While it isn’t necessary, it is advantageous for a prospect to start developing relationships with the key decision-makers at different NBA 2K League franchises, as this may benefit the gamer in the long-term by having the opportunity to interact with some of these individuals on a personal level.
Building on this point, the level of talent that a prospect competes against is very important. While there is no official NBA 2K “minor” league or any other talent developmental system in place, many unaffiliated, independent competitive or “comp” leagues have been organized and operated by third-party individuals within the 2K community. Some of these leagues have operated for several years and some are run by individuals who currently work with existing NBA 2K League franchises. These organized “comp” leagues provide participating gamers with the ability to establish their own teams and compete against other teams. In many cases, these leagues also award prizes to the league winners, compile player statistics and present player awards to their top participants.
While there has been a recent increase in the formation of unaffiliated Pro-Am leagues, a select few have risen to the top and established themselves as ones that many current NBA 2K League professionals as well as current franchise personnel actively partake in or have participated in the past.One of these independent competitive leagues is the “MPBA,” which is the “MyPlayer Basketball Association.” The MPBA, in addition to other various organized leagues, such as “WR Pro-Am League” and “Militia Gaming League,” have evolved into the scouting grounds for many of the top NBA2K talent evaluators. For example, during the first season of the NBA 2K League, “15 of the first 17 players selected in the 1st round” had actively participated in the MPBA league prior to being drafted. In fact, Forbes specifically acknowledged that these independent competitive leagues, “like the MPBA, SL2K, [and] WR can become feeders for the NBA 2K League.” While participation in these type of independent, unaffiliated “comp” leagues is not required in order to be drafted to the NBA 2K League, as some individuals who are currently competing in the league never participated in any of these competitions; the ability to consistently play and succeed against other players who are as serious and dedicated to the game as the prospect, is a benefit that cannot easily be replicated. In particular, participants in these “comp” leagues play against other individuals who are adept at defensive rotations and “baiting” bad passes as well as handling intense full-court defensive pressure. These leagues also present opportunities for the gamers to begin familiarizing themselves with other top competitors in an effort to study film to better learn their tendencies, strengths and weaknesses.
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Additionally, the fact that many of these Pro-Am match-ups are live streamed on a streaming platform, such as Twitch, enables the NBA 2K League team personnel to re-watch and properly scout a gamer competing against other comparable talent. In fact, many NBA 2K League team representatives mentioned that they follow these Pro-Am league games. For example, Cody Parrent, Director of Esports Operations for Pacers Gaming, previously mentioned that “2K19 Comp games are going to be FUN to watch;” and, then, he later posts links to watch a “big Pro-Am match up…” In addition, Heat Check Gaming’s Mr. Franklin commented about observing the various “comp” leagues, including the “MPBA, 2K Tournaments, and WR.” Likewise, Anthony Muraco, the former Director of Gaming Operations for Cavs Legion GC, reinforced this premise and stated that he was “[p]umped to watch these [MPBA] tournaments this off season.”
While a gamer competing against the best is important, how the individual presents themselves is also very relevant. In this context, a league prospect should be aware of their “marketability,” which includes both their individual personality as well as their attitude and public actions. Considering the importance of social media and live streaming in esports, a competitor’s proper use of these platforms is important and potentially influential. Whether it is during a live stream or on social media, a player must be cognizant of what they are saying and how they are saying it, as negative or otherwise vulgar or derogatory language can have negative consequences for the player. A 2K prospect should aim to keep any public content child-friendly as the NBA 2K League potential viewers include younger children. Additionally, while streaming or on social media, a player should avoid cursing or other inappropriate behavior in addition to not belittling their opponents as it represents bad sportsmanship.
In addition to player’s public statements on stream and on social media, whether the gamer is personable and engaging is another important factor to consider. An individual’s ability to exhibit and showcase their unique personality and story is vital, as the more engaging the gamer’s personality, the more fans tend to gravitate towards them. This can be accomplished through the creation of unique personality-driven content, such as vlogs, gameplay highlight clips, or anything else that demonstrates the individual’s creativity as well as highlights the player’s extensive understanding of community engagement and professionalism. As with any individual, skillfully engaging with their viewers and fans is an ability that is honed over time through practice.
Besides acting professionally in a prospect’s exchanges with their competitors and any league or team representatives, a player should be aware of how they interact with their teammates. While it is normal for competitive individuals to have disagreements, the way that a gamer handles and responds to these disparities is vital to a competitor’s draft “stock.” As Mr. Parrent of Pacers Gaming stated on Twitter “… be a good teammate.” Furthermore, Mr. Muraco of Cavs Legion GC mentions that being able to “handle criticism” is essential for success in the NBA 2K League as well as agreeing that “[f]laming teammates and [other] non-professional behavior is unacceptable. The 6 people drafted together need to become a cohesive unit. The days of disbanding teams over disagreements [are] over.” Ultimately, a potential NBA 2K League professional must be aware of how they handle criticism, as they will be subject to public critique from their teammates and coaches as well as from the fans, media and press.
Furthermore, a prospect preparing for the upcoming NBA 2K season should be aware of the type of “MyCareer” player that they create. Even though the official player “archetypes” for Season 3 of the NBA 2K League have not been announced, the prior two season’s archetypes, including the standard height and weight attributes, may be a good guide for prospects. For example, last season, Mr. Muraco mentioned that “if you really want to make the league next year[,] stop relying on ankle breakers on a 6’ 10” Power Forward and start practicing [on] a 6’3”” created player. Essentially, to succeed in the league on its unique, custom mode, an individual should “practice on a 6’3” [build]” and “not rely on ankle breakers [and] 6’ 10” PF.” Competing against other top players while utilizing a player whose metrics are similar to the ones standardized for the combine and the league, may assist in providing a more accurate gauge of a prospect’s actual talent and skill as opposed to judging an individual’s gameplay with a player build that is “not based on league build performance.”
Finally, another important consideration for a prospect is the position that they play and qualify for in the combine and throughout the full year of NBA 2K. In previous year’s player combine, each prospective was required to successfully complete a minimum of forty games in just one particular position, such as point guard or power forward, to qualify for the player draft pool; however, many prospects attempted to qualify in a variety of different positions. While it is certainly critical to be highly skillful in one specific player position, a gamer that can showcase their versatility and ability to play and succeed in a multitude of positions is extremely valuable. In fact, Mr. Franklin further reinforced this by stating that “[n]obody on HCG (Heat Check Gaming) is playing their original drafted positions” in response to a Tweet from a NBA2K scout that mentioned “teams will be looking for versatile players [which means…] being comfortable in multiple positions on the floor is a huge asset.”
This is also true as many current league professionals, including those drafted in the higher rounds, played and succeeded in positions that they were not originally drafted for. In particular, this is highly beneficial because as the NBA 2K League season progresses, teams start devising specific game-plans to stop a particular player or build; so, being able to adapt and change a player’s gameplay is essential to success. Versatility is also beneficial for unique situations, such Season 2’s newly installed tournament “archetype ban.” Additionally, similar to Season 1, if a “patch” or other in-game change to the player’s attributes occurs, it may change the “meta” of the game and require individuals to compete with different archetypes or from a different position than they are normally playing in order to succeed.
Overall, there are many things a NBA 2K prospect attempting to gain entry into Season 3 of the NBA 2K League can do to put themselves in the best position to be drafted by the league. It is ideal to try to compete against the best and to present the most professional public image that the player can. Being a good teammate is a critical attribute for a prospect as well as developing versatile, gameplay skills so that the gamer can adapt and play whatever role or position that a team needs them to in order for the franchise to be successful.
This article was originally posted on Dimer.
This article is not intended as legal advice, as an attorney specializing in the field should be consulted.
© 2022 Justin Jacobson Law, P.C.