HORNETS VENOM GT UNVEILS SCHEDULE FOR INAUGURAL SEASON

February 27, 2020 – The NBA 2K League today revealed the schedule for the 2020 season, which marks the debut of Hornets Venom GT, the official NBA 2K League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets.

Hornets Venom GT’s schedule is highlighted by a home game in Charlotte against defending NBA 2K League Champion T-Wolves Gaming on Saturday, May 2, at Spectrum Center.  New this season, select NBA 2K League teams, including Hornets Venom GT, will host rivalry matches and round-robin events in their local markets.  The contest is considered a rivalry match as Hornets Venom GT Manager of Marketing & Team Operations Brian “NachoTraynor” Traynor played for T-Wolves Gaming last year during their championship run.

The NBA 2K League’s third season tips off Tuesday, March 24, with The TIPOFF powered by AT&T at the NBA 2K League Studio.  Weekly regular-season matchups at the NBA 2K League Studio will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

Each team will play a total of 16 regular-season games and will have five bye weeks during the season, along with a league-wide bye week July 1-4.  All rivalry matches and round-robin games will count toward a team’s regular-season standings, with the exception of the round-robin championship games.  Each round-robin event will have a total prize pool of $20,000 with the winner of the championship game receiving $15,000.

Additionally, every Friday, the NBA 2K League Studio will host a “Game of the Week,” featuring a compelling matchup and unique studio experience for fans in attendance and watching on the broadcast.  Hornets Venom GT will be featured in two “Games of the Week” – May 8 against Warriors Gaming Squad, the former team of Hornets Venom GT center and NBA 2K League Expansion Draft No. 1 pick Xavier “Type” Vescovi, and June 12 against fellow expansion team Gen.G Tigers.

The 2020 season will once again feature three in-season tournaments (THE TIPOFF, THE TURN and THE TICKET) in which teams compete for banners that link together to form THE BANNER CHAIN powered by AT&T.  All 23 teams will compete in THE TIPOFF and THE TURN.  The 14 teams that are not one of the top nine playoff seeds will compete in THE TICKET, which will see the winning team earn the 10^th and final spot in the 2020 NBA 2K League Playoffs, which will tip off Wednesday, July 29, and take place over four days of gameplay.

Led by Head Coach & General Manager Lawrence “Bigg West” West, Hornets Venom GT chose center and 2019 NBA 2K League All-Defensive Team member Xavier “Type” Vescovi with the first overall pick in the NBA 2K League Expansion Draft last October.  In last Saturday’s NBA 2K League Draft, the team added guards Alexander “Expose” Whelan (sixth overall pick) and Justin “Snubby” Stemerman (18^th overall pick), along with forwards Zaeya “Zae” Ishak (19^th overall pick), Robert Giovanni “Trap” Elizondo (28^th overall pick) and Alontae “Gliz” Proctor (55^th overall pick).

Hornets Venom GT’s complete 2020 regular-season schedule is as follows:

WK      DAY               DATE                 OPPONENT                            TIME         LOCATION

Tue. – Sat.      March 24-28      THE TIPOFF powered by AT&T      TBD            NYC

1       Thur.         April 2                 vs. Raptors Uprising GC                     7:00          NYC

1       Fri.             April 3                 at Jazz Gaming                                     7:00          NYC

2                               April 8-10           BYE WEEK

3      Wed.          April 15              vs. Celtics Crossover Gaming             7:00           NYC

4                               April 22-25         BYE WEEK

5          Sat.     May 2               T-Wolves Gaming                             3:00         Charlotte

6          Thur.    May 7                 at Cavs Legion GC                                  9:00          NYC

6          Fri.        May 8                vs. Warriors Gaming Squad*               9:00          NYC

Wed. – Fri.   May 13-15        THE TURN powered by AT&T                 TBD          TBD

7          Sat.        May 23               at Heat Check Gaming                        2:00       Orlando

7          Sat.        May 23               at Magic Gaming                                  4:00       Orlando

7          Sat.        May 23               vs. Hawks Talon GC                             5:00       Orlando

8          Wed.     May 27               vs. Pacers Gaming                                 8:00         NYC

9                       June 3-6             BYE WEEK

10        Fri.       June 12              vs. Gen.G Tigers*                                       9:00        NYC

11        Thur.     June 18              at Mavs Gaming                                        8:00       NYC

12                    June 24-27         BYE WEEK

July 1-4              LEAGUE-WIDE BYE WEEK

13        Fri.         July 10               vs. Knicks Gaming                                    8:00        NYC

14        Sat.       July 18               vs. 76ers GC                                              2:00   Washington, DC

14        Sat.       July 18               at Wizards District Gaming                  4:00   Washington, DC

14        Sat.       July 18               at NetsGC                                                  5:00    Washington, DC

Thu. – Sat.  July 23-25        THE TICKET powered by AT&T                 TBD                  TBD

All times Eastern

Asterisk denotes NBA 2K League “Game of the Week”