NEW YORK — The 2021 NBA 2K League Draft was held virtually last night and livestreamed on the NBA 2K League’s Twitch and YouTube channels. During the four-round draft, the 23 NBA 2K League teams selected 63 players to complete their six-person rosters ahead of the league’s fourth season, which will tip off this spring.
With the No. 1 overall pick, Lakers Gaming selected Arshia “Krazy” Karimi of Dallas, Texas. Pacers Gaming selected Enrique “630” Xavier Barraza of Aurora, Illinois with the second pick. With the third pick, Warriors Gaming Squad chose Veron “Hezi” Coates of Queens, New York.
Alaina “DjLayyy” Haney of St. Louis, Missouri was selected 28th overall by Celtics Crossover Gaming, and Ziah “ziah” Minor of Washington, D.C. was selected 52nd overall by Mavs Gaming, becoming the second and third women, respectively, to be drafted in the NBA 2K League. In 2019, Chiquita “Chiquita” Evans was selected 56th overall by Warriors Gaming Squad.
Five international players from four countries were selected, including the first-ever NBA 2K League players from Australia and Spain: “Faiz3752” Faiz (Canada; 33rd overall to Nets GC), Mario “avemario32” Ortega Ariza (Spain; 41st overall to Cavs Legion GC), Jamie “vGooner-” Bull (U.K.; 43rd overall to Heat Check Gaming), Harsimran “Dhuggzz” Dhugga (Canada; 53rd overall to Hornets Venom GT) and Meason “xMiLo—” Camille (Australia; 62nd overall to Pistons GT).
The 2021 draft pool consisted of 265 players. In addition to unretained players from last season, the draft pool also included players who earned eligibility through the NBA 2K League Draft Prospect Series, international qualifying events over the last two offseasons, and the NBA 2K League Women in Gaming initiative, or by being identified by the NBA 2K League and its teams as high-performing players in the 2K community.
Recordings of virtual media availabilities with select draftees are available on NBA Media Central.
Additional details about the 2021 NBA 2K League season will be announced in the near future. For more information, fans can follow the NBA 2K League on Twitter (NBA2KLeague), Instagram (nba2kleague), Facebook (NBA 2K League), TikTok (nba2kleague), Twitch (NBA2KLeague) and YouTube (NBA 2K League) and visit NBA2KLeague.com.