Hornets Venom GT Adds Three in 2022 NBA 2K League Draft
February 28, 2022
February 27, 2022 – Hornets Venom GT, the official NBA 2K League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets, added three players during last night’s 2022 NBA 2K League Draft.
During the draft, Hornets Venom GT acquired the 25th and 30th overall picks from Hawks Talon GC in exchange for the 18th and 40th overall picks. The team then selected guard/forward Nicholas “Icyy” Clark with the 25th pick and center Damon “DJ” Jones with the 30th pick. With their final pick, the 48th overall selection, Hornets Venom GT added guard Jahaad “KingHaad” Thomas.
All three players are newcomers to the NBA 2K League this season. Icyy qualified through Cavs Legion GC’s Battle for the Land, DJ through the 76ers GC Tournament and KingHaad through the Texas Ticket PlayStation Tournament.
The three draft picks join returning players Kingsley “Crown” Braggs and Craig “rigby” Burnett Jr. to comprise Hornets Venom GT’s five-man roster.
Crown was named to the All-NBA 2K League Second Team and the All-Rookie Team last season after being selected by Hornets Venom GT with the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NBA 2K League Draft. In 22 regular-season games, he averaged 9.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks, while shooting 63.4% from the field and a team-high 56.7% from beyond the three-point line. Crown became the first player in Hornets Venom GT history to be selected to one of the All-NBA 2K League Teams.
Rigby, who joined Crown on the 2021 NBA 2K League All-Rookie Team and was the only rookie on the Eastern Conference team for the inaugural NBA 2K League All-Star Game, averaged 22.8 points, 5.4 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.7 rebounds in 28 games played last season, while shooting 54.2% from the field and 47.3% from beyond the three-point line. He ranked 10th in the NBA 2K League in three-point field goals (132), tied for 10th in steals per game and ranked 20th in points per game. The eighth overall pick in the 2021 NBA 2K League Draft, rigby became the first rookie to be named MVP of THE TURN Powered by AT&T after leading Hornets Venom GT to its first-ever in-season tournament title.
Hornets Venom GT went 19-9 during the 2021 NBA 2K League regular season, posting the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.
2022 HORNETS VENOM GT ROSTER
| Name | Gamertag | Acquired | Position | Hometown |
| Kingsley Braggs | Crown | 2021 Draft / 20thOverall | Forward/Center | Philadelphia, PA |
| Craig Burnett Jr. | rigby | 2021 Draft / 8thOverall | Guard | Stratford, CT |
| Nicholas Clark | Icyy | 2022 Draft / 25thOverall | Guard/Forward | Warner Robins, GA |
| Damon Jones | DJ | 2022 Draft / 30thOverall | Center | Hawthorne, CA |
| Jahaad Thomas | KingHaad | 2022 Draft / 48thOverall | Guard | Philadelphia, PA |