In the United States, the National Basketball Association was the first major professional sports league to force its players to the bench and postpone its season. Now, the NBA is poised to be the first league to get its players back playing ball … sort of.
First reported by Yahoo Sports reporter Chris Haynes, the NBA will reportedly hold a players-only NBA 2K tournament that may launch as soon as Friday on ESPN. Citing league sources, Haynes reports the tourney will feature “big-name players” like DeMarcus Cousins and Donovan Mitchell and last 10 days.
“With the sports landscape on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic and the federal government extending the social-distancing measure to at least April 30, the league has been forced to evaluate the safest way to bring basketball fans some action,” according to Haynes.
While it isn’t meant to replace actual NBA action, the 2K tournament would be a way for the league to provide its fans with entertainment and connect with players.
The NBA is still finalizing some details of the tournament, and it has yet to be formally announced by the league. June 1 has been mentioned as a possible re-start date for the league, but the next couple of weeks should go a long way in determining whether that is just pie in the sky.
When/if the league does resume play, here’s what to expect.
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