NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announces the No. 1 overall pick during the NBA 2K League Draft at Madison Square Garden on April 4, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
On the eve of the NBA 2K League’s historic first season opener, the league announced that HyperX would be its official gaming headset. HyperX will be used in-competition by all players and by broadcasters providing commentary on the action.
The NBA 2K League begins play tomorrow, with all of the contests streamed live on Twitch. The nascent league is the first esports circuit operated by a U.S. pro league, and each of the 17 teams is affiliated with an NBA franchise. The league held its inaugural draft earlier this month with NBA commissioner Adam Silver himself on hand to welcome a “new generation of athletes” to the association.
HyperX, the gaming division of Kingston Technology Company, is an established brand in esports that already supplies its headsets to more than 500 pro gamers. Three of its products — the Cloud Alpha, Cloud Revolver and Cloud II — will be available for use by all of the NBA 2K League’s 102 players. In addition to the league deal, HyperX also has individual partnerships with several NBA 2K squads, including Mavs Gaming, Pacers Gaming, Grizz Gaming, Bucks Gaming and Jazz Gaming.
“The convergence of esports and sports, as seen with the launch of the new NBA 2K League, is creating an exciting new form of entertainment,” said Hyper X general manager Mark Leathem in a statement. “Hearing every detail and communicating effectively during NBA 2K League competitions is critically important to these players. HyperX leads the way with its iconic gaming look, comfort, and great sounding gaming headsets.”
“We want NBA 2K League players to have best-in-class equipment, and when it comes to headsets, HyperX is second to none,” added NBA 2K League managing director Brendan Donohue. “Communicating with teammates during play is vital for success and partnering with HyperX will allow our players to compete at their best.”
SportTechie Takeaway
This partnership continues a budding alliance between HyperX and professional basketball. The company already counts a quartet of active NBA players among its brand ambassadors (76ers All-Star Joel Embiid, Celtics forward Gordon Hayward, Kings rookie De’Aaron Fox, and Jazz forward Jonas Jerebko). Two franchises have named HyperX as their official gaming headset (the 76ers and their esports offshoot Team Dignitas, as well as the Mavericks). And esports franchises owned by past and present NBA players are also part of the HyperX family (retired three-time NBA champion Rick Fox’s Echo Fox and Jerebko’s Team Renegades).
This deal also signals the NBA’s ability to reel in sponsors through its new esports arm, with Hyper X joining official 2K League partners such as Dell and Intel. That list will undoubtedly grow as the league establishes itself over time, especially with the promise of international expansion.
