Donovan Mitchell to take part in NBA 2K tournament with other NBA athletes

SALT LAKE CITY — Just over a month ago (but, oh, does it seem so much longer), Donovan Mitchell flew high and delivered a thundering one-handed slam on Washington’s Rui Hachimura.

This weekend, the two will face off again.

Well, kind of.

Starting Friday, ESPN will broadcast an NBA 2K tournament between 16 NBA players, with Utah’s third-year All-Star and the Washington rookie slated to play in the first round.

Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant and Miami’s Derrick Jones Jr. will start off the tournament on Friday at 5:30 p.m. MDT. The tournament will run through April 11.

"We're thrilled to partner with the NBA and NBPA to bring basketball back to fans throughout the world and to help those in need during these uncertain times," said Jason Argent, 2K senior vice president of sports strategy and licensing. "Entertainment, especially sports, has the ability to bring communities together — including athletes, fans and families — and we hope that everyone will enjoy the tournament."

The players were seeded by their NBA 2K rating, with Durant claiming the No. 1 overall seed; Mitchell is No. 4. Other NBA players participating include Atlanta's Trae Young, Phoenix's Devin Booker and Chicago's Zach LaVine.

The first-round matchups are:

• No. 1 Kevin Durant vs. No. 16 Derrick Jones Jr.
• No. 2 Trae Young vs. No. 15 Harrison Barnes (Sacramento)
• No. 3 Hassan Whiteside (Portland) vs. No. 14 Patrick Beverley (LA Clippers)
• No. 4 Donovan Mitchell vs. No. 13 Rui Hachimura
• No. 5 Devin Booker vs. No. 12 Michael Porter Jr. (Denver)
• No. 6 Andre Drummond (Cleveland) vs. No. 11 DeMarcus Cousins (LA Lakers)
• No. 7 Zach LaVine vs. No. 10 DeAndre Ayton (Phoenix)
• No. 8 Montrezl Harrell (LA Clippers) vs. No. 9 Domantas Sabonis (Indiana)

The players won’t necessarily be playing as their current squad either. Each player will choose eight NBA teams they can use throughout the tournament. The first round will be single elimination, with the semifinals and finals being a best of three competition. The winner of the tournament will earn $100,000 that will go toward a charity of their choosing.

ESPN will broadcast the tournament on both ESPN and ESPN2. Mitchell has been active in the gaming community during the NBA's hiatus. He has already streamed gameplay with famed gamers "Ronnie 2K" and "Ninja" since NBA games were shut down.

NBA 2K schedule

Round 1

Friday, April 3: ESPN

• 7-7:30 p.m. EDT: NBA 2K Players Tournament Preview Show
• 7:30-8:30 p.m. EDT: Derrick Jones Jr. (16) vs. Kevin Durant (1)

Friday, April 3: ESPN2

• 8:30-11:30 p.m. EDT

Sunday, April 5: ESPN2

• 12-4:00 p.m. EDT

Quarterfinals

Tuesday, April 7: ESPN2

• 7-11 p.m. EDT

Semifinals & Finals

Saturday, April 11: ESPN

• TBA

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