The Memphis Grizzlies organization announced today the team name (Grizz Gaming), the logo, grizzgaming.com and the team’s official social handles for the esports team set to compete starting in May 2018 in the inaugural season of the NBA 2K League. The NBA 2K League, a joint venture between the NBA and Take-Two Interactive, is a professional esports league featuring the best 2K players in the world. A total of 17 teams will participate and each team will draft five players who will play the game using unique characters.
Grizz Gaming’s logo is bold and balanced. It is inspired by the Grizzlies’ tenacity, updated for a digital space. The ‘Grizz Gaming’ GG ligature combines the ‘Grit and Grind’ ethos of the Grizzlies NBA franchise with a tacit nod to a traditional gaming sign-off, ‘Good Game’. The bear claw updates the Grizzlies’ secondary logo, elevating it to primary logo status, with each of the five claws representing the five players on the team.
The official colors invoke a more simplified version of the Grizzlies’ color scheme, boldly relying on the Grizzlies’ fan favorite Beale Street and Midnight Blues. The secondary logo, Grizz + Grind, incorporates the Grizzlies’ iconic inline type, but utilizing a “+” instead of the usual ampersand that visually identifies with gaming controllers.
“As someone who has voraciously consumed both basketball and video games for my entire life, being the General Manager of Grizz Gaming is in many ways the culmination of my life’s work,” said Grizz Gaming General Manager Lang Whitaker. “I’m looking forward to grinding non-stop as Grizz Gaming prepares to take part in the inaugural season of the NBA 2K League, where we will grit and grind and do our best to represent Memphis and the passionate fans of esports. I always told my Mom that playing video games would one day pay off. Today is that day.”
“The Memphis Grizzlies organization is thrilled for Grizz Gaming to be one of the founding teams of the NBA 2K League,” said Memphis Grizzlies President of Business Operations, Jason Wexler. “Grizz Gaming provides the Memphis Grizzlies organization and our partners with a new avenue to engage with a passionate and dedicated fan base through an esports team that reflects our culture and identity. We look forward to competing with the other 16 NBA 2K League teams who will be joining us in the inaugural season and embrace the opportunity to add our distinct voice and perspective to the growing esports community.”
Fans can visit the newly launched microsite, grizzgaming.com, for all news, updates and happenings regarding the team. Additionally, fans can follow @grizzgaming on Twitter and Instagram, as well as GrizzliesGaming on Facebook and Snapchat to follow along with the team’s inaugural season.
The NBA 2K League will become a part of the constantly growing esports community. By 2020, the industry is expected to grow to $1.5 billion worldwide while the audience is expected to reach 385 million in 2017.
The league’s inaugural season will take place in 2018, beginning with a league qualifier taking place from Jan. 1-31, 2018, that will determine players for tryouts in February. The qualifier will encompass the entire month of January and all prospective players who win 50 games in NBA 2K18’s Pro-Am mode and complete an online application by January 31 can receive an invitation to the next round of tryouts in February. The qualifier is available to anyone in the world who has a copy of NBA 2K18 on Xbox One or PS4 and is 18-or-older. Tryouts will be followed by a draft in March and the league will officially begin play in May.
“The reveal of our team names and logos is an exciting milestone as we move toward the NBA 2K League’s inaugural season in 2018, and we can’t wait for the NBA 2K community and our teams’ fans to see them,” said NBA 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue, who oversees all league operations.
About the NBA 2K League
The NBA 2K League is a professional esports league co-founded by the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO). Launching in 2018, the league will feature the best NBA 2K players in the world. Each of the league’s 17 teams will draft gamers to compete as unique characters in 5-on-5 play against the other teams in a mix of regular-season games, tournaments and playoffs. The league will host tryouts in early 2018, followed by a draft in March and the season tip-off in May. For more information about the NBA 2K League, visit www.NBA2KLeague.com.