– 2020 NBA 2K League Draft Delivered By Panera Bread Airs Live on Twitch and YouTube Starting at 6 p.m. ET –

THE DOMINANT DISTRICT: In October, Washington, D.C. sports fans witnessed the MLB’s Washington Nationals win the World Series, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics win the 2019 WNBA Finals and Wizards District Gaming win the 2019 NBA 2K League Draft Lottery to earn the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA 2K League Draft delivered by Panera Bread.  Wizards District Gaming is armed with four picks in the first three rounds as it looks to build a roster to compete for the 2020 NBA 2K League Championship.

A GLOBAL SEARCH: During the offseason, the NBA 2K League held two international qualifying events – the NBA 2K League European Invitational and NBA 2K League Asia-Pacific Invitational.  New Zealand native Jordan “JaeDubb_” Walden was named MVP of the APAC Invitational and was made eligible for the draft.  In the European Invitational, Germany’s Marcel “MGoCrzy” Stohl earned tournament MVP honors and draft eligibility.  In total, this year’s draft pool includes 24 international players from 10 countries and territories – Australia, Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Spain and the United Kingdom.

NORTH CAROLINA, IT’S TIME TO “RAISE UP”: North Carolina will bring its rich basketball history to the virtual court as Hornets Venom GT, the NBA 2K League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets, will join the league in 2020.  Hornets Venom GT features 2019 NBA 2K League All-Defensive Team member Xavier “Type” Vescovi on its roster and is armed with five picks in the draft.

HERE COME THE TIGERS: Also new in 2020, the Gen.G Tigers of Shanghai are the first NBA 2K League from outside of North America.  Gen.G’s team, which will train at Gen.G’s Los Angeles HQ during the 2020 season, will have five picks to go along with 2019 NBA 2K League Champion Christopher “TURNUPDEFENSE” Anderson.  The Tigers will be Gen.G’s second esports franchise (joining Seoul Dynasty of the Overwatch League) and second entry in Chinese esports (China Clash Royale League).

NOT A REGULAR REGG: Brooklyn native Reggie “iLReggLi” Nash Jr. appears to be one of the most talked about candidates in this year’s draft class.  Despite only playing NBA 2K for a little more than four years, Nash Jr. is already recognized as one of the best non-NBA 2K League players in the world.

SWITCHING HEADSETS: Beloved NBA 2K League color commentator Jamie “Dirk” Ruiz decided to give up his position in order to pursue his dream of becoming an NBA 2K League player.  Ruiz has succeeded at every step of the offseason tryout process.  He’s now on the verge of officially trading in his broadcast headset for a gaming headset and hearing his name called on draft day.

THE COMPOSER: Wendi “ALittleLady87” Fleming from Chattanooga, Tennessee has a bachelor’s degree in Music Theory and Composition from the University of Tennessee and played viola in the university orchestra.  After graduation, Fleming turned to her passion for basketball and traded in her baton for the controller.  Fleming was recognized as one of the top 250 players in the inaugural NBA 2K League season and participated in the NBA 2K League’s first development camp for women in gaming in August 2019.

MATCH POINT MASCONE: Hailing Irvington, New York, Jack “JBM” Mascone was an avid tennis player before picking up the controller.  On the verge of playing tennis at the collegiate level, Mascone suffered an injury and turned his attention to NBA 2K.  He has also played basketball, lacrosse and baseball.  Given his love for the game of tennis, Mascone’s favorite athlete to follow on social media is Roger Federer.

THE WHELAN TWINS: This year’s draft pool features Freddy “GetOnMyLevel” and Alex “ExposeHim” Whelan, twin brothers from Stratford, Connecticut who both began playing NBA 2K on NBA 2K11.

THE VIOLINIST: From the South Bronx, Rafel “Crushary” Davis is featured in this year’s draft pool.  Davis played the violin for four years in his high school’s orchestra.  He also has experience as a competitive chess player and began playing NBA 2K on NBA 2K9.