E-Sports is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. The NBA has taken notice and in partnership with NBA 2K to form the NBA 2K League. The inaugural season was held last year and the league continues to grow.
This year, the NBA 2K League held their first international qualifying tournament in Hong Kong, last February 2-3. The goal of the tourney is to determine players from the Asia Pacific Region who will qualify for the 2019 NBA 2K League Draft.
“Our goal is for the NBA 2K League to be a truly global league, with players and teams from around the world,” said Managing Director Brendan Donohue. “Nine international players competed in our inaugural season and our hope is that number will grow every year. Hosting our first international qualifying event is an exciting moment for the NBA 2K League and an important step in further diversifying our player pool.”
They invited 20 players from Australia, New Zealand, China and the Philippines to take part in the event. Representing the Philippines was the PlayBook Esports composed of Philippe Herrero, Custer Galas and Rial Polog with their manager, Richard Brojan.
Team PBE @IamPhilippeIV @custergalas @d_RIAL_deal @ClarkBanzon garnered a lot of attention while showcasing their skills at the @NBA2KLeague APAC Invitationals! Blessed to be part of the group scouted by the league reps and analysts. This will hopefully yield good results. #PBE pic.twitter.com/8ooLgDHgAF
— PlayBook Esports Team (@PlayBookEsports) February 5, 2019
Kersh1Flood took down Double Mash to win the qualifying tournament.
Congratulations to #Kersh1Flood for winning the first-ever #NBA2KLeague APAC Invitational from Hong Kong! 🌏 pic.twitter.com/9LjnD9zULt
— NBA2KLeague (@NBA2KLeague) February 3, 2019
Here are all the participants in the NBA 2K League Asia Pacific Qualifying Tournament.
