Like the analog hoopers, Atlanta’s basketball e-sports athletes will now also try their hardest win at State Farm Arena.
The Hawks Talon Gaming Club, the NBA 2K League affiliate team of the Atlanta Hawks, announced Thursday that they have created a 4,172-square-foot gaming space for practices and remote competition.
NBA 2K is a basketball video game that updates annually, mirroring player stats from the season’s play.
Their new home is on the fifth floor of the arena, with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook downtown.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better space for our team this year,” said Talon Head Coach Wesley Acuff. “While we do our competitions on the virtual court with the best of the best, it is important we put ourselves in a place that optimizes our performance for both practices and remote competition.”
The 2K league, which is in part run by the NBA, began in 2018. The league tries to engage the next generation of sports fans, many of whom are more interested in e-sports than traditional sports. Atlanta was one of the four expansion teams that joined in 2019. The season starts later this month.
Players have said some parents can’t believe that, yes, this is for real: All players are signed to six-month contracts, with first-round draft picks being paid a base salary of $37,000 and all other players being paid a $35,000 base salary, according to 2019 league information.
Atlanta’s athletes also participate in a medical program from Northside Hospital. Doctors focus on injuries commonly sustained by e-sports athletes — think wrist stretches/reaction drills like grabbing tennis balls from the floor and planks to build core strength along with a nutrition program.
With all that investment, it makes sense to have their own space.
“We are thrilled to continue investing in Hawks Talon by creating this new space for them inside of State Farm Arena,” said Hawks’ Vice President of G League and 2K League Operations Janice Koon, who recently added the gaming outfit to her list of responsibilities.
“We are grateful for the collaboration between our creative team and building operations team who worked diligently to get the gaming house completed in time for the upcoming season,” Koon said.
The athletes will sit in specialized gaming chairs with cooling technology in front of six PlayStation5 gaming consoles. There will also be two 75-inch TVs for them to study film.
And, in case they get tired of playing games, there’s a ping-pong table.
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