eSports
HAWKS TALON GC DRAFTS ‘GLIZZY’ AND ‘HiDEJUAN’, ACQUIRES ‘GRADIENT’ IN 2023 NBA 2K LEAGUE DRAFT
Hawks Talon Gaming, the official NBA 2K League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks, completed their five-man squad during the 2023 NBA 2K League Draft by selecting MarkDavid ‘GLIZZY’ Smith and DeJuan ‘HiDEJUAN’ Queen in the draft, as well as acquiring Sam ‘GRADIENT’ Salyers via trade.
With the first overall pick, Hawks Talon GC selected GLIZZY, a prospect from Chicago, new to the NBA 2K League in 2023. GLIZZY entered the draft pool after receiving his prospect badge from Hornets Venom GT through their draft eligibility tournament.
“We feel like we got the best player for us – an elite scorer that will immediately complement CEEZ and create an elite backcourt for the future,” said Director of Esports Wesley Acuff. “After months of buildup leading up to the pick, it felt incredible to finally secure our guy and we can’t wait to get to work.”
Prior to the draft, Hawks Talon GC acquired the rights to GRADIENT from Warriors Gaming Squad as part of a three-team trade that sent Hawks Talon’s 31st overall pick to Nets GC. Hawks Talon also acquired a 2024 third round pick from Warriors Gaming Squad in the deal.
GRADIENT was drafted by Warriors Gaming in 2018 with the second overall pick. He was named as an All-Star in 2022 after averaging 7.8 points and 1.7 steals while shooting 66.3% from the field in 20 appearances in 5v5 games. As a rookie in 2019, he was named to the All-NBA 2K League Defensive team, one of only three rookies in 2K League history to achieve that honor.
With the 37th overall pick, Hawks Talon selected HiDEJUAN, a power forward from Dallas. The pick was originally acquired in a trade with Wizards District Gaming in December. HiDEJUAN earned his draft eligibility at the Texas Ticket tournament.
“We could not be happier with how we rounded out our roster,” said Hawks Talon Head Coach Ismael ‘MAELO’ Diaz-Tolentino. “Adding GLIZZY, GRADIENT, and HiDEJUAN to our core is exactly the vision that we set out with and we’re thrilled with how the night went. I can’t wait to work with this group.”
eSports
North Star Network Acquires Um Dois Esportes
North Star Network has acquired Um Dois Esportes, a sports coverage and analysis site created from the merger of Gazeta Do Povo and Tribuna do Paraná in 2020.
Julien Josset, co-founder of North Star Network, said: “Thank you to the team at GRPCOM for their faith in us to take the brand forward. Um Dois Esportes is an established and renowned site in Paraná State, and we’re excited about the challenge of developing this asset.
“We’re happy to maintain the collaboration with the existing editorial team, and look forward to working with them, bringing our unique NSN approach, to take UDE forward.”
NSN’s signing of Um Dois Esportes is the media house’s fourth acquisition of 2024, following the recent deals to purchase UK-based SportsMole and MrFixitsTips, as well as Chilean site AlAireLibre, which was announced in March.
The latest addition to the North Star media portfolio joins existing assets including Top Mercato, Afrik-Foot, and Vringe. The Paris-based company already oversees a significant Brazilian operation, delivering over 6 million sessions per month, from the likes of Trivela, Premier League Brasil and Lakers Brasil.
NSN will retain Curitiba-based journalists from the Um Dois Esportes legacy team to maintain the asset’s unique tone and popular coverage of the Paraná sports scene across site and social.
Rafael Mello, Director of GRPCOM, said: “We were surprised by the interest, and initially had no intention of selling Um Dois, but as the conversations evolved, we realised this was a serious group with good intentions. We were very happy to see our project being valued by a large international group and going global, demonstrating the quality of the content we produced.
“We’re also proud that North Star inherited our journalists, who are truly responsible for the success of the product we offer readers every day.”
eSports
L&G esports team founded by Alona Shevtsova won the national Dragon EC Cup tournament
Ukrainian esports team L&G won the Dragon EC Cup tournament, held on the 20th of April by Dragon Esports Club. Four teams competed in the tournament’s final: Lazer Cats, L&G, which received a direct invitation to the final stage, EsportsBattle, and ThunderFlash, which had open qualifiers. During the Grand Final, the L&G team competed with Lazer Cats on Mirage, Anubis, and Vertigo maps.
“This victory is a testament to the exceptional talent and commitment of our players, as well as the collective effort of our coaching staff and support personnel,” said Alona Shevtsova, founder of L&G Esports. “We are immensely proud of their accomplishments and grateful for the unwavering support of our fans.”
L&G is among the top 5 Ukrainian teams in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It was founded in 2021. The previous name was Leogaming, and it was created on the initiative of the famous Alona Shevtsova from the fintech sector.
The team began competing in top tournaments and almost immediately made it to the Advanced division of the ESEA League Europe competition. The team also participated in and took prizes in European tournaments such as the SCL League, WhiteBit Crypto Open, Phoenix League, and local competitions. The team players are marat2k, r0ublE, kr1vda, kL1o, OneUn1que, rji (coach).
The winners received a 50,000 UAH prize. Dragon Esports Club also prepared a 15-skin giveaway for the broadcast’s viewers.
It is worth mentioning that the L&G team created its merch items, which are available for order worldwide. To get more information about the team, visit the L&G Instagram page, Twitch, or Telegram Channel.
eSports
Introducing iSports at iCode: A Cutting-Edge Esports Program for Aspiring Gamers
iCode, a premier coding and STEM learning program for kids, announced its latest addition to its program offerings: iSports, a one-of-a-kind esports program geared towards young gamers aged 8-13.
Starting the week of June 3, 2024, this innovative 12-week esports course will be offered across the entire iCode franchise and is dedicated to introducing students to the thrilling world of competitive gaming in a safe and secure environment. This season will revolve around the popular game Fortnite, which will feature a special iCode-only map within the platform.
“iSports will serve as a great summer activity for kids to get out of the house, but the overall goal is to foster personal development through the many dynamic skills competitive gaming requires. The iSports program places a strong emphasis on developing important life skills like sportsmanship, teamwork and strategic thinking. It will keep participants engaged and learning while school is out, and parents can rest assured knowing that their children are playing in a controlled environment,” Abid Abedi, founder and CEO of iCode, said.
Throughout the 12-week iSports season, participants will dedicate one hour per week to gameplay and skill development. All sessions are led and supervised by knowledgeable iCode coaches. Their administration along with the exclusive iCode-only map is specifically designed to provide a secure gaming experience with a safe, monitored environment. The program culminates in the opportunity to compete in a tournament-style championship to crown the best gamer across iCode national network.
iCode is partnering with MSI to supply an array of state-of-the-art gaming equipment including high-quality headsets and top-tier gaming computers equipped with speedy processors. Gamers will also have access to advanced gaming chairs for maximum efficiency and comfort. This setup will ensure that every participant enjoys a premium gaming experience, mirroring the standards of professional esports environments. In addition, MSI will provide prizes to the top iSports gamers, including one of their brand new Claw handheld gaming devices.
“MSI has been dedicated to cultivating gaming and esports for years with significant achievements. We’re thrilled and honored to partner with iCode to develop this community to another level,” David Chou, VP of Sales at MSI, said.
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