The coronavirus pandemic has put an indefinite pause on just about every American sport. With citizens being encouraged to stay home and practice social distancing, life feels like it's on hold for most Americans.
Devoid of live sports, fans are resorting to highlights, classic games and simulations to have some semblance of normalcy in their lives.
The NBA 2K League, however, has a chance to provide live, competitive sports to those basketball fans who are starved for content.
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“I definitely feel like this is a great time for the esports world to uplift,” Kings Guard Gaming rookie Rafel “Crush” Davis tells NBC Sports Bay Area. “Everybody is on the Internet right now.”
The 2K League and esports, in general, are positioned well to withstand the current climate.
“It’s pretty much how it was before I joined the league,” Davis said. “A lot of our preseason matchups and tournaments is remotely from home. So, it’s not really nothing new to a gamer.”
Kings Guard selected Davis No. 3 overall in February’s draft, transplanting the New York native to the other side of the country. He’s already making an impact for his new squad, helping lead Kings Guard to a championship in the Coast to Coast Cup on March 24.
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Hornets Venom GT -- one of two new expansion franchises in the NBA 2K League -- hosted the event, which also featured Warriors Gaming Squad and the Gen.G Tigers.
Kings Guard went a perfect 8-0 in the event, which ran somewhat differently than a typical 2K League event.
“We have our PC set up in our room,” Davis said, pointing to the desktop computer and monitor behind his webcam setup. ”We speak to each other through Discord, a video chat where we can just speak to each other.”
Despite lacking the in-person element, the intensity was palpable.
“The energy was definitely high," Davis said. "We acted like we were on stage with each other, cheering and yelling.”
The NBA 2K League is trying to maximize potential fan engagement with another event, the “Three for All,” a tournament in which fans of the league can earn an opportunity to take on 2K League pros, social influencers and some of the world's best female players.
In the three-on-three style tournament, the best teams from a fan bracket that began play Friday will advance to a bracket where they could take on players from around the NBA 2K League.
Even those not competing will be able to interact with players from across the league and stream the entire event on Twitch.
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If the logistics of the event run smoothly, this could pave the way for more opportunities for the NBA 2K League to attract new viewers in the currently barren American sports landscape.
While teams won’t be flying out to New York for league competition any time soon, as they have in years past, remote events like these allow players to stay sharp while giving fans the ability to fulfill their appetite for live sports.
You can learn more about the “Three for All” event here.