Gen.G has moved its NBA 2K League operations stateside.

The move was announced on Tuesday, and I had an opportunity to speak with Chris Park, the CEO of Gen.G, and Heath Price, the Associate CIO at the University of Kentucky, about the relocation of the club’s 2K League team as well as the benefits of the partnership.

BM: How much did the rich hoops history of the UK program have to do with the commitment to Lexington?

Chris Park: It does seem fitting for the first pro Esports team-in residence at a major college campus to be an NBA 2K League team at UK. Now two years into Hoops at Home, we’ve already seen the grass-roots power of combining Kentucky’s basketball tradition with top-tier gaming. Together, Gen.G and UK have already made Immanuel Quickley an NBA 2K household name. The real pros are next!

BM: What are some of the advantages Gen.G will have in Lexington that it didn’t have before?

Chris Park: Lexington is a vibrant, diverse college town and the UK campus has state-of-the-art facilities supported by trusted, experienced leadership. As much as our teams generally benefit from being in LA, our players this season will get to train, compete, and live with so many academic and non-academic resources at their fingertips. And they won’t have to compromise at all competitively, as UK has legitimately state-of-the-art gaming facilities!

BM: Can you tell us more about what the new Esports facility will offer Gen.G and even other UK Esports programs?

Heath Price: The Cornerstone houses the new UK Federal Credit Union (UKFCU) Esports Lounge, a gaming space that has been designed to invite UK students, campus constituents, and community visitors into the campus to experience PC gaming on high-end gaming machines in a comfortable and welcoming environment. UKFCU Esports Lounge provides consistent PC Setup with Capture Cards, software to provide for audio mixes, broadcast point-of-view cameras angled in the right spots, and a variety of other technical tools to satisfy the gameplay and broadcast needs for each event throughout the season.

Beyond the access to the UKFCU Esports Lounge, the UK campus provides the players with a one-of-a-kind campus vibe, comfortable and accessible accommodations, access to dining facilities and recreational centers, and is walking distance to downtown Lexington – an area that is highly walkable and surrounded by an assortment of eateries and distinct landmarks (including Rupp Arena).

BM: What’s it like being the only non-NBA owned franchise in the NBA 2K League?

Chris Park: It’s a truly complementary fit. The league leadership and our fellow NBA 2K League teams often make clear that they value our perspective, informed as it is by our other Esports and gaming-related pursuits in the US and Asia. Likewise, we learn so much from the professionalism and fan-centric focus of the NBA — arguably the most aspirational brand among all traditional sports leagues in the entire world.

BM: Talk a little about your roster and how the players are taking to the idea of relocation.

Chris Park: Following a year coming off a roster filled with inexperience, we made a complete 180 this offseason in that regard. [We’ve added] three players who have won a championship before. Another player who won two tournaments, a tournament MVP, and made the finals last year. We have a group that knows what it takes to win at this level. We couldn’t have asked for a better integration of upside, potential, and chemistry.

Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai and the rest of the NBA 2K League teams begin play on May 19 with THE TIPOFF powered by AT&T. The tournament concludes on May 22 and a total of $160,000 will be awarded to the teams that place. The following week, the fourth NBA 2K League regular season begins and the Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai will compete in the newly formed Eastern Conference.

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