NBA 2K LEAGUE REVEALS 198 PLAYERS VYING FOR 74 SPOTS AT THE 2019 NBA 2K LEAGUE DRAFT TOMORROW

NEW YORK, March 4, 2019 – The NBA 2K League today announced the pool of 198 players who will be eligible for the 2019 NBA 2K League Draft taking place tomorrow, Tuesday, March 5, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.   All 21 teams will complete their six-person roster at the four-round draft, which will begin at 5 p.m. ET and will be livestreamed on the league’s Twitch channel.

This year’s draft pool includes 22 international players from nine countries outside the U.S.: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, New Zealand, the Philippines, Spain, and the United Kingdom.  A complete list of draft-eligible players is available here*.  Visit the NBA 2K League YouTube Channel to meet some of the members of this year’s class.

With the addition of four expansion teams, 126 players will compete in the NBA 2K League’s second season, and new this year, the number of draft-eligible players will exceed the spots available in the league through the draft.  During the offseason, 52 players from the inaugural season were retained or selected in the Expansion Draft, leaving 74 roster spots available.  The 198 draft-eligible players consist of 144 new players who were selected by the league following an extensive tryout process, six players from the league’s first-ever APAC Invitational that took place in Hong Kong in early February, and 48 unretained players from the inaugural season.

“I want to congratulate these 198 players on establishing themselves as among the best NBA 2K players in the world through a rigorous evaluation process,” said NBA 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue.  “We’re looking forward to an exciting draft day as we welcome a new class of players to the NBA 2K League family.”

By winning the NBA 2K League Draft Lottery, Jazz Gaming has the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA 2K League Draft.  The full draft order is available here.

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

*Draft pool is subject to change

**Qualified through NBA 2K League APAC Invitational

About the NBA 2K League 

The NBA 2K League, a professional esports league co-founded by the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO), launched in 2018 and features the best NBA 2K players in the world.  Each of the league’s 21 teams features six players who compete as unique characters in 5-on-5 play against the other teams in a mix of regular-season games, in-season tournaments and playoffs.  Knicks Gaming won the first-ever NBA 2K League Finals on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2018.  For more information about the NBA 2K League, visit NBA2KLeague.com.

Eduard Folayang Looking For Another Decisive Finish Against Shinya Aoki

ONE Championship pulled out all the stops when they put together the complete card for their first ever live event in Japan, ONE: A NEW ERA. Headlining the blockbuster event is a ONE Lightweight World Title bout between reigning champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of the Philippines and local hero Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki.

The iconic Ryōgoku Kokugikan will host one of the most highly-anticipated rematches in recent memory, and though news of the event’s proceedings has created an unmistakable buzz and excitement, it is Folayang who is most excited about his next outing.

“Of course, I am happy to be part of the first event in Japan, especially because of how big this is going to be,” Folayang said.

“Just looking at the card, it’s undeniable that this is the biggest event of the promotion yet.”

They first squared off back in November 2016 where Folayang spent the majority of the first two rounds fending off Aoki’s vaunted grappling. In the third round, Folayang connected on a flying knee as Aoki was coming in, sending his Japanese foe reeling towards the cage. There, he unleashed a rain of punches until the referee called a halt to the contest.

Folayang mentioned that nothing much has changed in his preparations for the Japanese submission artist except for the fact that he will be the one defending the title this time around.

“The only difference right now is that I’m the one defending the World Title, so as much as possible, my mind is set on preparing to the best of my abilities to guarantee a favorable result,” Folayang said.

“Tobikan Judan” is loosely translated to ‘The Grandmaster of Flying Submissions’, of which Aoki has become known for over the years with his flashy flying armbars and unorthodox submission techniques.

After winning his last three bouts in the first round, two by submission and one by knockout, Aoki is poised to give Folayang another stiff challenge. The Filipino acknowledges this and maintains he is better prepared this time around.

“He finished all his opponents in the first round, so that means he’s really determined and prepared to reclaim his belt,” Folayang said.

“I think he’s still the best at what he does, which is grappling, and that’s where I need to be more careful now more than ever.”

This time around, Folayang feels much more comfortable however. Destroying the aura of mystique surrounding Aoki in 2016, the Filipino stalwart is more confident in his abilities and has become somewhat of a legend himself.

Folayang has become so confident, that he hints at beating Aoki at his own game.

“I think I have an advantage because of my mental and spiritual strength,” Folayang said.

“I have improved quite a bit myself, especially with the simple details in technique for takedowns and the ground game. With striking, I am constantly perfecting my accuracy and timing, so I had that time to sharpen them further.

“As much as possible, I won’t let it go to the scorecards. Personally, I want to predict that I’ll win via submission.”

The three time ONE Lightweight World Champion has been garnering accolades long before he embarked on a professional career in mixed martial arts, in international wushu competitions no less. But his experience with ONE Championship took him to a whole new level.

Folayang is grateful for the opportunity provided by the promotion and he plans to show fans and people who are inspired by his career by giving the best performance of his life.

“It’s huge, especially for those who aspire to become World Champions or martial artists because they could see that there is a stage where they can perform if they keep working on their craft,” Folayang concluded

“It’s truly an honor to be an instrumental part of the rise of martial arts in the Philippines."