Source: Mike Stobe / Getty
Gambling has found its way to the NBA 2K League. Unfortunately, it’s not the fans doing the betting. It’s the players and one coach.
Spotted on The Verge, the NBA 2K League announced in a statement the indefinite suspension of six players and a coach “indefinitely” for getting their virtual Pete Rose on by betting on the games.
Per The Verge:
The suspended players include Christopher Lafanette, Dorian Earl Miller, and Robert Nastasi from the league’s affiliate of the Portland Trail Blazers; Zekirri Dennis of Mavs Gaming; and Kimanni Ingram of Jazz Gaming, who the league said “wagered or attempted to wager on NBA 2K League games, either on their own or through other individuals, and also violated the rules by failing to report violations or cooperate fully with the investigation.” Also receiving punishment are Blazers coach Andrew Maxie and player Marquis Gill for “failing to report violations or cooperate fully with the investigation.”
League president Brendan Donahue spoke on the situation in a statement:
The integrity of our game is, and always will be, the NBA 2K League’s top priority. We take our obligation to the competition and to our fans incredibly seriously, and we will always act forcefully regarding violations of the rules governing game integrity and the related reporting and cooperation requirements.
No further details were shared on the punishment or the extent of the gambling, but this is not a good look for the NBA 2K League, which is still trying to grow as an entity.
The NBA 2K League is a product of a notable collaboration between the NBA and NBA 2K publishers Take-Two Interactive and works closely with a majority of NBA teams and has teams based in Australia, Spain, and China.
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Photo: Mike Stobe / Getty
