ESPN will televise ‘Players-Only’ tourney in ‘NBA 2K20.’ Derrick Jones is taking part.
Derrick Jones Jr. has already won one trophy this season for his performance in the Slam Dunk Contest at the NBA All-Star Weekend in February.
Now the Miami Heat forward will have a chance to add a virtual trophy to his trophy case, although he’s going to need to pull off an underdog run to win it.
Jones is one of 16 active NBA players slated to take part in a “Players-Only” tournament in “NBA 2K20” beginning Friday.
The Slam Dunk champion is the No. 16 seed in the tournament, set to match up against No. 1-seed Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets in the first round Friday at 7:30 p.m. Jones will choose to play as one of eight teams, including the Heat. Durant will also choose to play as one of eight teams, including the Nets. Each player can only use each team once.
“The Boardroom,” Durant’s ESPN+ show, announced the 16-player field Tuesday on Twitter.
Other participants in the tournament include Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young, Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura, Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine, Cleveland Cavaliers post player Andre Drummond, Indiana Pacers post player Domantas Sabonis, Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, Portland Trail Blazers center Hassan Whiteside and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker.
eSports has become a popular outlet this month for sports teams, leagues and networks to keep some sort of games going while COVID-19 has nearly every sport shut down.
The NBA has been suspended since March 12 when Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus.
Some teams, including the Suns, have continued their seasons virtually by having players like Booker play “NBA 2K” against players from other teams across the league. Phoenix aired one of these games on the radio Friday and the Wizards have been broadcasting games on their local television affiliate.
This tournament is the NBA’s and ESPN’s biggest dive into eSports since every major sport had its season preempted by the pandemic.
The tournament will stretch across 10 days as the NBA searches for a way to salivate fans’ thirst for basketball and ESPN looks for alternative content to broadcast with live sports on hold. The winner of the tournament will choose a charity to receive a $100,000 donation from the NBA, the National Basketball Players Association and 2K, which develops “NBA 2K20.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with the NBA and NBPA to bring basketball back to fans throughout the world, and to help those in need during these uncertain times,” 2K senior vice president of sports strategy Jason Argent said. “Entertainment, especially sports, has the ability to bring communities together — including athletes, fans and families —and we hope that everyone will enjoy the tournament.”
Jones was in the midst of a breakout season at the time the season was suspended. The springy forward is averaging a career-high 8.9 points per game for Miami, which currently sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
This story was originally published March 31, 2020 at 1:22 PM.
