Shaquille O’Neal named GM of Kings Guard Gaming, the NBA 2K League team
The Big Diesel is heading to the NBA 2K League.
Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal has been named general manager of Kings Guard Gaming for the inaugural season of the league, the team announced Monday.
O’Neal’s role includes providing basketball counsel as the team evaluates talent in preparations for Wednesday’s draft as well as future player support.
“I’m looking forward to my role with Kings Guard,” O’Neal said. “Just like I dominated the hardwood, music industry, showbiz, nicknames and broadcasting, I plan to help build the most dominant 2K franchise in history.”
O’Neal is no stranger to the world of video games. He has appeared on the cover of the NBA 2K series three times, including NBA 2K18’s Legend Edition. O’Neal, a minority owner of the Sacramento Kings, is also a part owner of NRG eSports, which fields teams in the Overwatch League and CS:GO, among others.
“We’re excited to have one of the biggest icons in basketball serve as a guiding voice for our first NBA 2K League team,” said Ryan Montoya, Kings CTO and head of esports.
Kings Guard owns the fourth overall pick in the draft, which will take place at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. Each of the 17 teams will select a roster of six players from the available 102-player pool.
