Atlanta Hawks: NBA 2K League 2020 season will tip-off virtually

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 04: NBA 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue speaks to the media during NBA 2K League Draft at Madison Square Garden on April 4, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 04: NBA 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue speaks to the media during NBA 2K League Draft at Madison Square Garden on April 4, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Hawks Talon Gaming Club will have another chance to prove themselves this season as the 2020 2K League is set to debut remotely.

On Tuesday, April 27, it was announced that the third season of the NBA 2K League will virtually tip-off on May 5 with teams competing remotely from their home markets. The start of the 2020 season, originally set for March 24, was postponed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The 23 participating teams were initially supposed to compete in the new studio in Manhattan, however, unprecedented times have called forth a safer route to be explored. With safety in mind, at least six weeks of gameplay will be remote and will continue as such until further notice.

Fans got a little taste of the Hawks Talon Gaming Club during the leagues 3 for All Showdown back in March and early April. For the first time, we got to see how BPs supreme ball-handling abilities meshed with two of his new teammates, Lee and followTHEGOD.

Lee seemed to flourish in the offense run by BP, as he was able to find open looks, score consistently, and grab offensive rebounds. Whereas, followTHEGOD would seem to get lost at moments, however, finding a rhythm with 3-on-3 play can be awkward at first and I am looking forward to his regular season play.

We also received a wonderful glimpse of the team’s personality as we listened in to their humorous banter between each other’s headsets.

The team schedules have yet to be determined but we do know a few things about the upcoming season. Each week, May 5 – June 12, 16 matches will be live-streamed on the 2KL’s official Twitch and YouTube. Every matchup will be played in a best-of-three series, with each win counting as a regular season win and each series loss counting as a regular season loss.

It’s not a 2KL season without the tournaments and fans will not be deprived this year. The 2020 season will feature THE TIPOFF, THE TURN and THE TICKET, all in-season tournaments where teams face off to earn banners that link together to create THE BANNER CHAIN powered by AT&T.

The 2KL hyped the news of the season up with a music video that dropped recently on the league’s youtube channel. The song is led by rapper Tr!zzy featuring Jay Marshall and the duo talks about all of the killer crossovers and mean-mug combinations we can expect to see from the players this year as they battle to win it all.

“We are thrilled to officially tip off the 2020 NBA 2K League season remotely and hope the excitement of NBA 2K League competition provides both new and returning fans with a fun way to stay connected and engage with our league during these unprecedented times,” said NBA 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue.

He also mentioned that “Our players have been quarantining with their teammates as they prepare for the season and will now have the opportunity.”