With the NBA, and just about all other major sporting activities, on hold it’s fair to say that the esports market is making the most of the increased interest in the field and basketball’s brightest and best are certainly enjoying an opportunity to show what they do in the virtual form of the game.

This weekend sees the NBA launching its own esports event in the form of a 16-player made-for-TV event that will keep the sport’s fans from climbing up the walls due to the lack of action on their screens.

On Friday the top seed in the event, Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant, lost in his first encounter against 16th seed Derrick Jones Jr in a 78-62 game, after which Durant declared;

“I scored at will but I couldn’t stop nothing”

There were a number of great match-ups in the first day of the competition and perhaps the most entertaining aspect of the action were the incessant trash talking between the pros with the best of the bunch coming from Patrick Beverley with the Los Angeles Clippers point guard going to town on opponent Hassan Whiteside during a thumping 84-54 win.

As well as being great viewing the occasion also helps raise money for charitable causes and the winner of the NBA 2K Players Tournament wins $100k to donate to their chosen charity.

Up to the quarter-finals the games are one offs but the later rounds are best-of-3 series clashes.

The semi-finals and finals will be broadcast on April 11th and provide a great break from the troubling situation we all find ourselves amidst.