Photo Credit: The National Basketball AssociationBasketballNBA partnering with NBA 2K and ESPN to Air Player-Only Tournament by Andre Oge March 31, 2020 In the hiatus of basketball in light of the Coronovirus spread, the NBA, its players, and its affiliates have been working hard to figure out how to reach fans. League commissioner, Adam Silver, discussed jumping right into the playoffs, with a midsummer target date in mind. In the interim, NBA 2k, the popular video game franchise, had been airing simulated games to complete the remainder of the already slated schedule. However, the franchise will be taking it up a notch. It was announced that as of Friday, April 3rd, the NBA will be partnering with both NBA 2K and ESPN to air a 10-day 2K tournament.The Layout of the TournamentThis story was first broken by Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. The tournament is further collaboration between the League and 2K. The event will be open only to players, giving fans a chance to hear and see their favorite players on the popular game. Moreover, ESPN will be broadcasting the tournament to audiences beginning Friday. Further details of the format of the tournament will be released throughout the week.Participants will include Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant, as well as Dononvan Mitchell, Trae Young, and Hassan Whiteside. Obviously, the goal here is fan service and to keep the fan connection alive. With the growth of E-sports in general, it makes sense that the NBA would look to utilize the video game to keep in touch with its fans.This tournament is the latest effort by the League to keep basketball alive and prevalent. Fans have undoubtedly been missing the live experience. Fans should expect the League to continue to make such efforts while to country is still in the midst of an effective shutdown. Another option for fans to stay tuned is to sign up with the free promotion by NBA League Pass to watch an archive of basketball games, including recordings of the 2019-2020 NBA season, as well as classic games.In ConclusionOver the weekend, the President announced plans to continue quarantine and social distancing guidelines until April 30th. In some states, the guidelines will stay in place for a longer. There is no definite word on when sport leagues will resume. The focus is clearly to keep everyone safe and try to prevent the continued spread of the virus. Staying in a continued quarantine can easily get boring. The League attempting to try to continue to entertain and provide content speaks volumes to how much they value fans. Until we hear further, fans can tune in to ESPN on Friday to watch the tournament. Post Views: 1,095The following two tabs change content below.BioLatest PostsAndre OgeAndre is the New York Knicks Lead Writer for DoubleGSports.comLatest posts by Andre Oge (see all) Kyrie Irving Rallies Players to Continue Fight Against Racism - June 14, 2020 The NBA is Back - June 4, 2020 Stephen Jackson, the NBA Community, Demand Justice for the Murder of George Floyd - May 29, 2020 NBA Opening Practice Facilities in Certain States - April 26, 2020 Related TopicsBasketballDonovan MitchellESPNHassan WhitesideKevin DurantNBANBA 2k20Trae Young Click to comment You must be logged in to post a comment Login Leave a Reply Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment.Newsletter SubscriptionCan't Miss Posts! No Shame in Their Game – Female Mixed Martial Artists Use Onlyfans to Make Money by Brandon Berrios | posted on December 4, 2020 The Five Biggest Injuries of the 2020 NFL Season by Anthony Paradiso | posted on November 6, 2020 From Paramus High School to CBS Sports, Spero Dedes is making waves in sports broadcasting by Sunil Sunder Raj | posted on October 27, 2020 Women in Sports: Ariel Epstein, On-Air Host at SportsGrid (VIDEO) by Anthony Paradiso | posted on March 12, 2021 Exclusive Interview: SNY Personality, Maria Marino, Shares Career Journey (VIDEO) by Sunil Sunder Raj | posted on January 28, 2021More in Basketball You Know I’m Right, Episode 97: SNY’s Michelle Margaux (Audio/Video)On the 97th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined SNY’s... WNBA Rolling Out Red Carpet For Upcoming 25th Anniversary SeasonThe WNBA’s 25th season also marks the debut of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup. Mark Cuban Is Allowing Dallas Mavericks Fans To Use DogecoinMark Cuban Is Allowing Dallas Mavericks Fan’s To Use Dogecoin To Purchase Tickets And... Vistaprint, Boston Celtics, NAACP Announced Formation of Power Forward Grant For Small Minority BusinessVistaprint, the Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation & NAACP have announced the formation of the... 2020 WNBA Mock Draft The Covid Corner – First Edition