NBA 2K League player banned for betting rule breach

A player for the esports team owned by National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise Miami Heat has been disqualified from the NBA 2K League for violating its gambling rules.

Basil “24K Dropoff” Rose, a power forward for Heat Check Gaming, was found to have violated league rules by providing inside information to an individual involved in betting on NBA 2K League games.

However, the league added, the investigation into Rose found no evidence that the player attempted to fix or otherwise improperly participate in any NBA 2K League game.

The NBA 2K League is a joint venture between the NBA and Take-Two Interactive, publisher of the popular basketball console simulation NBA 2K. It sees teams backed by real-world NBA franchises compete against one another over a 150-week season.

Formed in 2017, its first season took place over 2018, with Rose’s team, Heat Check Gaming, coming second behind the New York Knicks-owned Knicks Gaming.

Rose joined the Heat Check Team in April 2018, and had been retained for the 2019 season. The team is yet to comment on his disqualification, though Rose has pledged to address the situation on the live streaming platform Periscope, telling social media followers to “stay tuned”.