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The play creator is free. Pro adds video and image exports, unlimited plays and the full Creation Center.
Competitive Hub / NBA 2K League
Champions, awards, tournaments, All-League teams, the draft and prize pools, from the first season in 2018 to the last in 2024.
Jan 1
The qualifying window for the first season opened: players needed 50 wins in NBA 2K18 Pro-Am and an application, due by January 31.
Jan 25
The league introduced its Combine, the tryout stage that fed the first draft.
Feb 9
The league announced player pay and benefits: first-round picks would earn a $35,000 base salary and later picks $32,000, with medical benefits, a retirement plan, free housing, and travel and food covered. Teams could win money from three tournaments, a playoff pool and a $1 million total prize pool.
Mar 9
The league released the draft format and lottery details for the first draft.
Mar 13
A non-weighted lottery set the order of the first NBA 2K League Draft.
Mar 13
Mavs Gaming won the 2018 draft lottery.
Apr
Players signed six-month contracts in the first season: first-round picks earned a $35,000 base salary and everyone else $32,000, on top of a $1 million prize pool.
Apr 2
Shaquille O'Neal was named general manager of Kings Guard Gaming.
Apr 4
The first NBA 2K League Draft was held at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden, with Adam Silver announcing the first pick and Brendan Donohue the rest.
Apr 4
The 2018 draft was held at Hulu Theater, Madison Square Garden, New York. Dimez (Mavs Gaming) went first, and 17 teams made 102 picks.
Apr 6
The league released its first schedule. The season opened May 1 with THE TIPOFF. Each team would play 14 regular-season games and at least 19 in total with the tournaments, the top seven teams made the playoffs and the winner of THE TICKET got the eighth spot.
Apr 6
The league announced its first-season format: 17 weeks from May to August, with a 15-week regular season starting May 1 made of 12 weeks of matchups and three tournaments.
Apr 6
Ten top draft picks played in the first NBA 2K League Draft Clash at PAX East in Boston, including Jazz Gaming's Yeah I Compete (No. 3) and Tifeworld (No. 66).
Apr 24
Bucks Gaming drafted six players to form the first roster in franchise history, and signed Vertagear as its first partner.
Apr 24
The Milwaukee Bucks unveiled the Bucks Gaming name and logo ahead of the inaugural season.
Apr 27
HyperX became the official headset of Bucks Gaming, and Spacestation Gaming became a new Jazz Gaming sponsor.
Apr 30
Knicks Gaming named Kyle Rudy its first team manager and head coach. He held the job for six seasons.
Apr 30
HyperX was announced as an official Jazz Gaming partner.
May
Mavs Gaming came back from 20 points down to beat Celtics Crossover Gaming 81-74 in the first meeting of the Nos. 1 and 2 picks, Dimez and oFAB, at THE TIPOFF. It was still the biggest comeback win in league history at the end of the first season.
May
The opening week of the first season put a league player on SportsCenter, Hood of Cavs Legion GC, the league's first primetime highlight reel on ESPN.
May 1
The first games were played on opening day of The Tipoff, with Bucks Gaming and Pistons GT in the league's first game. Bucks Gaming later beat Cavs Legion GC 57-53 in the first overtime game.
May 1
Game6Drake of Bucks Gaming scored the first points in league history, a long jumper against Pistons GT on opening day.
May 1
The first season opened with 102 players drafted from about 72,000 hopefuls, 17 teams and 186 regular-season games over 17 weeks. New York produced 15 of the players, more than any other state.
May 1
Hood of Cavs Legion GC scored 41 points in a 76-73 win over Kings Guard Gaming on opening night of The Tipoff, and had two 40-point games that day. He was a first-round pick and was featured in ESPN's coverage of the league's debut. His single-game scoring mark stood until Hotshot scored 54 on July 20.
May 1
Jazz Gaming unveiled its digital court and uniforms for the first season.
May 4
Dimez of Mavs Gaming scored 50 points in a 92-51 win over Grizz Gaming, then the league scoring record. oFAB of Celtics Crossover Gaming had 26 assists the same day, also a league record at the time.
May 5
76ers GC won the first tournament, The Tipoff, beating Blazer5 Gaming in the final. Radiant was the tournament MVP.
May 12
Jazz Gaming beat Cavs Legion GC 59-51 to close the first week of the inaugural regular season, in a game both teams shot poorly.
May 19
Jazz Gaming beat Raptors Uprising GC 79-76 in overtime, a game decided in the final seconds.
June
Blazer5 Gaming set the team scoring record at the time with 95 points in a 95-73 win over Knicks Gaming in The Turn semifinals, shooting 40-of-62.
June
IdrisDaGoat6 of Knicks Gaming had the first triple-double in league history, as a power forward against Cavs Legion GC in the first round of THE TURN.
June 9
Blazer5 Gaming won THE TURN and $75,600 from a $150,000 pool, ahead of Celtics Crossover Gaming ($24,800). The winning roster: GRANT MONSTER, Jomar, Lavish, Mama Im Dat Man, OneWildWalnut, Shotz. Third and fourth: Knicks Gaming and 76ers GC.
June 14
Grizz Gaming unveiled its Command Center, the team's new practice facility in Memphis.
June 15
Grizz Gaming snapped a four-game losing streak with a 70-68 win over Warriors Gaming Squad; DDouble2K hit the go-ahead jumper from the right elbow with 1.9 seconds left.
July 6
Grizz Gaming beat Bucks Gaming 73-63, leading by as many as 27 and tying its franchise high for points while setting new highs in field goals made.
July 14
Knicks Gaming won THE TICKET and $75,600 from a $150,000 pool, ahead of Celtics Crossover Gaming ($24,800). The winning roster: G O O F Y 7 5 7, Iamadamthe1st, Idrisdagoat6, NateKahl, xKPMR, YEYNotGaming. Third and fourth: Pistons GT and Cavs Legion GC.
July 20
Hotshot of Heat Check Gaming scored 54 points on 25-of-34 shooting on July 20, breaking the single-game scoring record held by Hood of Cavs Legion GC. Heat Check Gaming won 86-71 over 76ers GC.
July 26
The first NBA 2K League Showcase, a tournament of league players and influencers from sports and entertainment, was played.
July 27
AuthenticAfrican of Grizz Gaming scored 84 points, shattering the league record of 54, in a 101-93 triple-overtime loss to 76ers GC. He shot 40-of-55 with 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals, had 29 of his team's first 32 points, and tied the game with 1.2 seconds left in regulation. It was the league's first double or triple overtime game, and the 84 was still the single-game record when the league ended in 2024. Watch every point
July 30
Blazer5 Gaming clinched a playoff spot, joining Knicks Gaming, who had earned an automatic berth by winning The Ticket. Six berths were still open.
Aug
Boo Painter led the first season in scoring with 677 points, OneWildWalnut had 57 blocks, and five players recorded triple-doubles.
Aug
Heat Check Gaming held Radiant of 76ers GC to six total points across the two games of their quarterfinal series on the way to the first Finals.
Aug
NateKahl, the Finals MVP, did a one-on-one interview on SportsCenter the night after Knicks Gaming won the first championship. Watch the Finals
Aug 11
OneWildWalnut was named the first league MVP as the league announced its 2018 awards.
Aug 11
The first NBA 2K League Awards were held. OneWildWalnut of Blazer5 Gaming was named MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, BooPainter of Wizards District Gaming won Play of the Year for a behind-the-back dunk, xTFr3sHxX of 76ers GC won Sportsmanship (voted two-thirds by players and one-third by team managers and talent), Duane Burton of Pistons GT was Coach of the Year, and Raptors Uprising GC won the community engagement award.
Aug 12
The first season's awards went out after week 14. OneWildWalnut won MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, leading the league in rebounds, steals and blocks as Blazer5 Gaming went 12-2. Duane Burton (KingDuOne) was Coach of the Year after Pistons GT went 9-5, and Boo Painter won the fan-voted Play of the Year for a double behind-the-back dunk. 76ers GC's Tfreshyy won Sportsmanship as a sixth man who never appeared in a game.
Aug 12
The first playoff bracket was set. No. 1 seed Blazer5 Gaming (12-2) faced Knicks Gaming (5-9), which had won THE TICKET to get in. 76ers GC (10-4) drew seventh-seeded Wizards District Gaming (8-6), and Pistons GT (9-5) drew Heat Check Gaming (8-6).
Aug 15
Hawks, Nets, Lakers and Timberwolves affiliates were announced as the four expansion teams for the second season.
Aug 18
No. 8 seed Knicks Gaming beat No. 1 seed Blazer5 Gaming in a one-game quarterfinal, the most disputed ending of the first season. Late in the game a freak animation had a shot blocked by the backboard. Knicks Gaming went on to win the title, and the league changed its playoff series to best-of-three for 2019.
Aug 24
The league revealed the NBA 2K League Finals Trophy: a two-foot, 25-pound abstract silver net with a gold ball in the shape of the league logo about to go through it, made of polyurethane resin with rhodium and 24-karat gold plating. There is only one, and each season's winning team and year go on its base. It was designed by RARE Design with Volpin Props.
Aug 25
Tournament MVPs in the first season: Radiant had 17 points, 14 assists and 7 steals in the Tipoff final; Mama Im Dat Man averaged 28.8 points and 13.8 assists at The Turn, with 35 and 13 in the final; and iamadamthe1st averaged 30.3 points and 11.3 assists in the playoffs after winning The Ticket MVP.
Aug 25
Knicks Gaming won the first Finals in Game 2 on Aug. 25, rallying from nine down in the fourth quarter. Finals MVP NateKahl had 12 points and shut down Hotshot defensively, Goofy had 18 points and clutch offensive rebounds, and Heat Check Gaming's Hotshot scored 38 on 18-of-22 shooting. Heat Check took home $100,000 as runner-up and Knicks Gaming $300,000. Watch the Finals
Aug 25
Knicks Gaming went 5-9 in the regular season, entered the playoffs as the No. 8 seed and won the first championship.
Aug 30
Wizards District Gaming protected DemonJT and Boo Painter, the first team to announce its protected players for the 2019 season. Each team could protect two players before the expansion draft and retain up to two more after it.
Sept 7
The lottery for the first expansion draft gave the first pick to Hawks Talon GC, the second to NetsGC, the third to T-Wolves Gaming and the fourth to Lakers Gaming. The draft was first set for Sept. 24 and later moved to Sept. 26.
Sept 7
Jazz Gaming won the 2019 draft lottery. Warriors Gaming Squad and Kings Guard Gaming picked next.
Sept 10
Raptors Uprising GC protected Kenny and All Hail Trey, and Pacers Gaming protected WoLF and Swizurk.
Sept 11
Mavs Gaming protected Dimez and Dayfri, and Blazer5 Gaming protected OneWildWalnut and Mama Im Dat Man.
Sept 11
76ers GC signed head coach Jeff Terrell to a multi-year extension through the 2021 season, and the Brooklyn Nets hired MPBA co-founder Ivan Curtiss as their NBA 2K consultant.
Sept 12
Knicks Gaming protected iamadamthe1st and Goofy, Heat Check Gaming protected Hotshot and Majestic, and Jazz Gaming protected Compete and OGDeedz.
Sept 13
Eight more teams named their protected players: Pistons GT (Ramo, Insanity), Kings Guard Gaming (Worthingcolt, Timelycook), Bucks Gaming (Game6Drake, BigMeek), Warriors Gaming Squad (Type, BSmoove), Cavs Legion GC (Hood, Sick), Celtics Crossover Gaming (Fab, Mel East), Magic Gaming (UCManny, KingCamRoyalty) and 76ers GC (Radiant, Steez).
Sept 20
Celtics Crossover Gaming re-signed head coach Ricco Phinisee for the second season, after he led the team to two tournament title games in the first.
Sept 26
The 2019 expansion draft was held. Hawks Talon GC took Dat Boy Shotz (from Blazer5 Gaming), NetsGC took NateKahl (from Knicks Gaming), T-Wolves Gaming took oLARRY, Lakers Gaming took Mootyy, Lakers Gaming took KontruL, T-Wolves Gaming took I F E A S T, NetsGC took Shockey, Hawks Talon GC took Arsonal X.
Sept 27
The league's first trade window opened after the expansion draft and ran from Sept. 27 to Oct. 10. It produced five trades, including the Hood-for-oLARRY swap and Pistons GT sending Ramo to Pacers Gaming for the No. 4 pick.
Sept 27
Pistons GT get 2019 No. 4 pick
Pacers Gaming get Ramo
Pistons GT then held the Nos. 4 and 16 picks in the 2019 draft.
Sept 27
Cavs Legion GC get oLARRY
T-Wolves Gaming get Hood
oLARRY had been T-Wolves Gaming's pick in the expansion draft.
Sept 27
Wizards District Gaming get Dayfri
Mavs Gaming get 2019 No. 14 pick
Oct 3
Oct 4
Blazer5 Gaming get KinG PeroXide
Bucks Gaming get 2019 No. 17 pick
Reported by Sept. 30 and confirmed Oct. 4. The Bucks then held the Nos. 6 and 17 picks.
Oct 8
Cavs Legion GC retained Godddof2k and Celtics Crossover Gaming retained Profusion.
Oct 8
Bucks Gaming get 2019 No. 17 pick
Blazer5 Gaming get King_PeroXide
KinG_PeroXide had averaged 13.6 points for Bucks Gaming in the first season.
Oct 9
Knicks Gaming retained IdrisDaGoat and Heat Check Gaming retained 24K Dropoff.
Oct 10
Blazer5 Gaming retained LavishPhenom and Pistons GT retained JosephTheTruth.
Oct 11
Knicks Gaming retained Yeynotgaming.
Oct 18
76ers GC retained Newdini and ZDS.
Oct 19
Jonah Edwards, the former Mavs Gaming head coach, agreed to a two-year deal as head coach of Magic Gaming, according to league sources.
Oct 25
T-Wolves Gaming confirmed Shawn Vilvens, an assistant coach at Cincinnati Christian University, as its general manager and head coach. Reports of the hire had come out on Oct. 8.
Nov 8
Mavs Gaming confirmed Toijuin "LT" Fairley, the co-owner and creator of the MPBA Pro-Am league, as its head coach.
Nov 8
Applications opened for the second season's draft pool.
Nov 27
Hawks Talon GC named Wesley Acuff its first manager and head coach, the franchise's first full-time hire.
Dec 5
NetsGC named Ivan "OG King Curt" Curtiss its head coach and general manager on the day it unveiled its logo.
Dec 12
Lakers Gaming unveiled its logo and branding, the fourth and last of the 2019 expansion teams to do so.
Want the numbers behind the names? See the career stats table and the records and elite clubs.
