PACERS GAMING GAINS NO. 2 POSITION IN 2021 NBA 2K LEAGUE DRAFT
October 29, 2020
INDIANAPOLIS – The NBA 2K League today announced that Pacers Gaming has been awarded, via the draft lottery, the No. 2 overall p.ick in the 2021 league draft to be held next spring. It will be the highest selection in the four-year history of the league for the Pacers Gaming, the official NBA 2K League affiliate of Pacers Sports & Entertainment.
Pacers Gaming previous best selections in each draft were: 2018, No. 13, Bryant Colon (WoLF); 2019, No. 4, traded to Detroit and 2020, No. 4, Eddy Prez (BOHIO). Interestingly, among Pacers Sports & Entertainment franchises (Pacers Gaming, the Indiana Fever of the WNBA and the Indiana Pacers of the NBA), there has never been an overall No. 1 selection.
Three times the Pacers have had the No. 2 pick and most recently it was in 1988 when the Blue & Gold selected Rik Smits. In addition, with the No. 2 pick, the Pacers took Wayman Tisdale (1988) and Steve Stipanovich (1983). The Fever have had the No. 2 spot twice: Tan White, 2005; and most recently, 2018, when the team picked standout guard Kelsey Mitchell out of Ohio State.
“The No. 1 overall pick would have been nice,” said Pacers Senior Director of Esports Operations and Head Coach Cody Parrent, “but there are some elite players in the pool this year and we expect to gain an impact player with our selection. And, when you look at our history of PS&E and the No. 2 overall picks, if we can get a player who performs like Rik Smits or Kelsey Mitchell, we’ll be very happy.”
Lakes Gaming (3-13 last year) will select No. 1 overall, just ahead of Pacers Gaming (4-12).