The NBA 2K League has gone through two seasons of competition with 17 of 30 NBA teams housing their own competitive teams for the first season before expanding to 21 teams for the 2019 season. The league is entering its third season as an esports league and everyಌ team that has been involved up to this point has been owned by the NBA team it is representing until now. The NBA 2K League will be expanding its size to 23 teams for♌ the 2020 season including its first Non-American team - the Tigers of Shanghai.
Officially named the Gen.G Tigers, the team will represent Gen.G - the popular South Korean esports organization with headquarters in Los Angeles, Seoul and Shanghai. Gen.G boasts teams in a variety of competitive gaming scenes including CS:GO, Fortnite, PUBG, League of Legends, Overwatch and now NBA 2K.
This is a big move for both Gen🐲.G and the NBA 2K League as its the first team outside of North America. In a big esports market like China, this should help the league reach a wider audience than ever before as it expands into the international market. If this addition proves successful, more international teams could break into the league, broadening🎐 its appeal even more and help its longevity going forward.
Aside from just launching the first international franchise team, Gen.G will continue a long-term relationship to help cultivate the league's global player pool. Gen.G will help player and 😼brand development in Asia. The Gen.G roster will train at their headquarters in Los Angeles as the third season of the NBA 2K League will start in the spring with 23 teams (22 of which are owned by NBA teams) with the hope of expanding its global fan base and the addition of the Gen.G Tigers can do just that.