NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2019 – Ahead of the 2019 NBA 2K League Draft, which will be held Tuesday, March 5 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., the NBA 2K League announced today a multiyear partnership with Champion Athleticwear to serve as the league’s official outfitter.

Champion will provide the NBA 2K League’s 21 teams with game uniforms as well as warmup, travel and practice apparel. In-game avatars will also be outfitted in Champion-branded uniforms. Throughout the season, Champion will provide apparel for marquee events like the NBA 2K League Draft Clash, in-season tournaments and the NBA 2K League Finals. Starting today, fans can purchase NBA 2K League merchandise on Champion.com.

“We are thrilled to have an iconic brand like Champion as our official outfitter,” said NBA 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue. “Champion’s authentic designs and innovative products make them a great partner for the league, and we can’t wait to see our teams compete in their new uniforms this season.”

“The need for esports apparel is quickly evolving and Champion is pleased to be an integral part of this historical opportunity,” said Champion Group President-Global Activewear Jon Ram. “Being the official outfitters for the NBA 2K League is an exciting and pivotal opportunity for Champion to continue our evolution and expansion to outfit teams within the esports and traditional sports communities. Together we can push the boundaries and bring esports to a wider audience.”

The 2019 NBA 2K League Draft will begin at 5 p.m. ET and will be livestreamed on the league’s Twitch channel.  The Draft will consist of four rounds, and all 21 teams will draft players to complete their six-person roster.  Jazz Gaming will have the first pick, as determined by the league’s Draft Lottery, which took place in September 2018.

With the addition of four expansion teams, 126 players will compete in the NBA 2K League’s second season, and new this year, more players will be draft-eligible than spots available in the league.  During the offseason, 52 players from the inaugural season were retained, leaving 74 roster spots available.  The draft-eligible player pool will consist of new players who were selected by the league following an extensive tryout process, players from the league’s APAC Invitational that took place in Hong Kong, as well as unretained players from season one who successfully completed Combine requirements.

Additional details on the 2019 NBA 2K League Draft will be announced at a later date.

For more information, fans can follow the NBA 2K League on Twitter (NBA2KLeague), Instagram (nba2kleague) and Facebook (NBA 2K League) and visit NBA2KLeague.com.