Following impressive performances against Kings Guard Gaming and Warriors Gaming Squad in the first two rounds of the playoffs, T-Wolves showed their strength once more when they took on the 76ers in the first-ever NBA 2K finals series to go to five games.

The Minnesota franchise started in the best possible way, grabbing a 17-9 lead after the first quarter. That lead only grew in the remaining three quarters as T-Wolves stormed to a 71-36 win.

In game two, the 76ers woke up and looked like a completely different team. Their impressive work in defence kept Wolves at only four points in the first quarter and only nine in the second. The Philadelphia side did not have problems scoring and took an impressive 31-13 lead at the halftime. The second half was even more lopsided as the 76ers squared the series with a 70-23 scoreline.

Technical difficulties ahead of game three meant the teams had over three hours to cool down and prepare the game plan. That seemed to benefit T-Wolves more than the 76ers, who failed to repeat their success from previous game and lost 47-56.

Philly needed to win game four to keep the series alive, and they did not disappoint. A close match ended with a 53-46 win for the 76ers, who emerged as the better team in the final quarter by outscoring their opponents by 15-6.

The decisive game five brought out the best out of both teams in a game worthy of being called the finals. Following a close third quarter, T-Wolves pulled away in the fourth and secured a 52-35 win to seal the NBA 2K League title and US $360,000 prize money.

Michael “BearDaBeast” Key, the former college basketball player at Piedmont International University and now T-Wolves point guard, emerged as the 2019 NBA 2K League Finals MVP with 23 points and six assists in game five.

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The League started on April 4 when 17 teams drafted 6 players from the drafting pool. The regular season is set to start on May 11 but on May 1, the teams played the first tournament. During an entire week, the 17 teams played in games of 5 vs 5, using only original characters.

Two teams stood out from the rest, 76ers Gaming Club and Blazer5 Gaming. Both teams showed a clear superiority the entire week. 76ers struggled at times but once they reached the knockout stage, the team shined.

The squad lead by guard Ethan “ITZ_Radiant” White defeated Mavs Gaming, the Dallas representatives, in the quarterfinal. In the semifinal, the Philadelphia team took down Pistons Gaming Team from Detroit, Michigan by 18 points. The final against the Portland team had a similar result. 76ers defeated Blazer5 by 20 points and took home the $35,000.

76ers and the rest of the teams in the League must prepare for the regular season. Starting on May 11, the 17 teams will play a 17 weeks season that ends on August. Every team is scheduled to play at least on game every week for a total of 14 games.

In between the weekly matchups, the teams will have in-season tournaments and a postseason. Top eight teams will qualify for the postseason and eventually the final.

NBA 2K is currently the best-selling game in the sports genre. The competitive leagues expects to become the most successful league for sports games.

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Sporting the NBA’s classic red, white and blue colors mixed with the vertical pill-shaped design of a basketball, the official logo calls back to the NBA’s own design with its classic Jerry West silhouette, while the distinctive font is the same used for all NBA2K video games published by 2K Games.

“We kept trying so many different ways we can draw a guy on a ball, and they were always just missing something,” explains Rodney Richardson of Rare Design, the official logo’s creator.

“The simplicity of the pill shape, that core color palette is immediately recognizable, it’s not defined by sex, it’s not male or female – this league is open to any gamer that has the ability to go out there and earn their spot.

For those interested, the NBA released an official video of Richardson and RARE Design in Hattiesburg, Mississippi detailing the design process behind the logo, which you can watch below.

NBA 2K League – Official team logos revealed

Meanwhile, all 17 teams in the NBA 2K League have released their team logos and names on social media this week to properly generate hype for the first season held next year.

We have gathered up some of the better announcement videos right here for your viewing pleasure – and to save you a click or two.

NBA 2K League – New details

Along with the new wave of announcements comes additional details on the 2K League. The inaugural season will officially begin in May 2018 and will run through August, with try-outs in January in the form of the NBA 2K League Qualifier which runs January 1 – 30, before a final draft in March.

Each of the 17 teams will have a five-player roster competing as unique characters in 5v5 gameplay. Prospective players must complete an online application on the official NBA 2K League website and tryout for a spot via NBA 2K18’s Pro-Am mode.

Trying out is open to anyone in the world who owns a copy of NBA 2K18 on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, and players can either enter as a walk-on or part of a team – but you must be 18 years or older.

Those who win 50 games and are successful will be privately invited for the second stage of tryouts to be held the following month at an unspecified date. For the inaugural season, NBA and 2K have confirmed all games will be played “in one or two central studios.”

EsportBet’s opinion on NBA 2K League unveiling

NBA 2K League is fascinating because it marks the first offical esports league created, owned and operated by a North American professional sporting league, with full support and involvement from the teams in question. Sporting games have never been a fixture in the mainstream competitive esports scene, but if 2K Games and the NBA can pull this off, it can only do wonders for the already booming esports industry.

Be sure to check out our NBA 2K League esports guide for more details on the league format, gameplay structure, teams and the best places to bet on the game.

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