Credit: Charlotte Hornets
- NBA franchise Charlotte Hornets will have an affiliate team play in the 2020 NBA 2K season.
- Charlotte Hornets will become the 22nd team to compete in the NBA 2K League.
- By expanding into esports, the team says it hopes to reach a younger demographic of basketball fans.
The Charlotte Hornets announced that its affiliate team will compete in the 2020 NBA 2K League Season. The yet-to-be-named expansion team is the first to confirm for next year’s competition.
The NBA 2K League is a joint effort between the NBA and Take-Two Interactive. Founded in 2017, the annual competitive season includes affiliate/expansion teams representing 22 out of 30 NBA franchises. Sponsors include HyperX, AT&T, Intel 
, New Era, Alienware , Champion , Scuf Gaming , and Raynor Gaming.
“With North Carolina’s rich basketball history and the Hornets organization’s commitment to innovation and fan engagement, we know they will be a great addition to the NBA 2K League family,” said NBA 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue in a release.
Related Article: HyperX Renews NBA 2K League Partnership for 2019 Season
NBA 2K League Season Two began this week with THE TIPOFF, presented by AT&T. The 18-week season includes weekly matchups and three tournaments that lead up to the NBA 2K League Playoff and Finals, concluding on August 3. NBA 2K League recently increased the prize pool to $1.2M USD.
Prize money is important, but for Hornets President & Vice Chairman Fred Whitfield, joining the competition was a matter of reaching the next generation of basketball fans.
“The popularity and growth of esports both in the U.S. and internationally continues to rise at a tremendous rate,” said Whitfield in a statement. “Our NBA 2K League affiliate will provide us with another opportunity to extend the HSE brand and reach a highly-coveted as well as hard to reach younger demographic of fans. We look forward to joining the NBA 2K League in 2020 and bringing the exciting, fast-paced and entertaining esports action to the fans of Charlotte.”
Charlotte is the 22nd franchise to join the NBA 2K Finals—the LA Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Atlanta Hawks, and Brooklyn Nets joined in August of 2018.
