Jazz Gaming Adds “followTHEGOD” and “Gen” in 2022 NBA 2K League Draft
April 6, 2022
NBA 2K Team to Play Out of League Hub in Indianapolis during 2022 Season
SALT LAKE CITY (February 27, 2022) – Jazz Gaming, the official NBA 2K League affiliate of the Utah Jazz, selected forward Kwan “followTHEGOD” Niblack with the 28th pick and guard Wesley “Gen” McNair with the 44th pick of the 2022 NBA 2K League Draft.
Prior to the start of the draft, Jazz Gaming traded the 21st and 52nd picks in the 2022 draft along with a 2023 third round pick to the Gen.G Tigers in exchange for the 28th and 44th picks in this year’s draft as well as a 2023 second round pick.
Following the draft night trade, Jazz Gaming used the 28th pick to select “followTHEGOD” out of Bronx, N.Y. Niblack joins Jazz Gaming after appearing in 28 games last season for Grizz Gaming, owning 2021 season averages of 7.3 points and 1.5 steals a game while shooting 58.8 percent from the floor.
“Gen” was selected with the 44th pick out of Tamarac, Fla., and comes to Jazz Gaming following his 2021 campaign with Mavs Gaming where he appeared in 22 games and averaged 20.9 points and 3.6 assists a game.
“We are excited to welcome in ‘followTHEGOD’ and ‘Gen’ to Jazz Gaming as we look to improve on our great season from a year ago,” said Jazz Gaming head coach Jelani “Comp” Mitchell. “We know what we are getting from these guys, and we know ‘followTHEGOD’ is going to bring great defensive prowess and IQ and help us improve our team defense. Defense wins championships and that is a major focus for us coming into this year. With ‘Gen,’ he is going to bring offensive firepower as another great shooter to complement ‘Splashy’. He can take any shot that is available, and he has the ability to create shots when needed. These guys are going to be great additions to our organization.”
The newest Jazz Gaming duo will join a veteran team coming off the heels of the franchise’s first appearance in the 2021 NBA 2K League Championship and second consecutive playoff appearance. Over the past two seasons, Jazz Gaming has a combined regular season record of 32-12, good for the second highest winning percentage (.727) in the NBA 2K League during that stretch (Wizards District Gaming, .795).
“followTHEGOD” and “Gen” will play alongside returning Jazz Gaming veterans Spencer “Ria” Wyman (2021 All-NBA 2K League First Team), Kimanni “Splashy” Ingram (2021 All-NBA 2K League Second Team) and Shaka “Compete” Browne (Jazz Gaming franchise’s first ever player, selected third overall in 2018).
Jazz Gaming will be one of several NBA 2K League teams that will live and train out of Indianapolis during the 2022 season, which is where in-person league games will be held this year. The team will utilize dedicated practice facilities at the NBA 2K League Studio there and create unique behind-the-scenes content around the teams living in Indianapolis.
The NBA 2K League will tip off its fifth season which will include a combination of remote and in-person games. The competition begins Wednesday, March 23 with the amateur qualifying event for the Coinbase NBA2KL 3v3 BLACKTOP SERIES and will culminate with the NBA2KL 3v3 and 5v5 Finals as part of the NBA2KL Championships on Saturday, Aug. 20 and Saturday, Aug 27, respectively.
“We are really excited about some of the new formats this year,” said Mitchell. “The 3v3 component is really exciting because we have some great ‘Park’ players that will be able to represent Jazz Gaming well. This is a great way to compete with non-pros and influencers and continue to generate interest around Jazz Gaming and the NBA 2K League as a whole.”
In-person NBA 2K League competitions will take place at the new NBA 2K League Studio in Indianapolis. The studio’s innovative design will feature two circular competition stages to allow for simultaneous in-person games that give the broadcast the opportunity to switch between games in real-time to capture the most exciting action.
Below please find the 2022 NBA 2K League competition schedule:
• March 23-26: SLAM OPEN Amateur North America Qualifying Event (Remote)
• March 30-April 2: SLAM OPEN Amateur North America Qualifying Event (Remote)
• April 5-8: THE TIPOFF Group Play (Remote)
• April 12-15: THE TIPOFF Group Play (Remote)
• April 20-23: THE TIPOFF Bracket Play (NBA 2K League Studio, Indianapolis)
• April 26-29: SLAM OPEN Group Play (Remote)
• April 27-30: STEAL OPEN Amateur Europe Qualifying Event (Remote)
• May 3-6: SLAM OPEN Group Play (Remote)
• May 4-7: STEAL OPEN Amateur APAC Qualifying Event (Remote)
• May 11-14: SLAM OPEN Bracket Play (NBA 2K League Studio, Indianapolis)
• May 18-21: SWITCH OPEN Amateur North America Qualifying Event (Remote)
• May 25-28: SWITCH OPEN Amateur North America Qualifying Event (Remote)
• May 24-27: THE TURN Group Play (Remote)
• May 31-June 3: THE TURN Group Play (Remote)
• June 8-11: THE TURN Bracket Play (NBA 2K League Studio, Indianapolis)
• June 14-17: SWITCH OPEN Group Play (Remote)
• June 21-24: SWITCH OPEN Group Play (Remote)
• June 29-July 2: SWITCH OPEN Bracket Play (NBA 2K League Studio, Indianapolis)
• July 5-8: 5v5 Seed Weeks (Remote)
• July 12-15: 5v5 Seed Weeks (Remote)
• July 19-22: 3v3 Seed Weeks (Remote)
• July 26-July 29: 3v3 Seed Weeks (Remote)
• Aug. 1-7: League-Wide Bye Week
• Aug. 10-11: STEAL OPEN (NBA 2K League Studio, Indianapolis)
• Aug. 12-13: THE TICKET (NBA 2K League Studio, Indianapolis)
• Aug. 17-20: NBA2KL 3v3 Playoffs and Finals (NBA 2K League Studio, Indianapolis)
• Aug. 24-27: NBA2KL 5v5 Playoffs and Finals (NBA 2K League Studio, Indianapolis)
For more information, visit jazzgaming.gg and follow @UtahJazzGaming on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
— @UtahJazzGaming or jazzgaming.gg —