INDIANAPOLIS — Inside Pan Am Plaza in downtown Indianapolis on Tuesday, the Jazz Gaming NBA2K League team runs through scrimmages.
Five players work out on the basketball court for hours - without ever leaving their chairs.
"It's everybody's dream, get paid to play the game," said Kimanni Ingram with Jazz Gaming.
Ingram, whose player tag is "Splashy," has been playing NBA2K for years on his own. Professionally, he's been playing for the Jazz for the past three years and has become a leader in the league.
"Like, when I was a rookie, it was all about fun, dancing, laughing, smiling. Now it's more serious," Ingram said. "Trying to get to the next game, trying to make as much money as possible, so I look at is as more of a business now."
Succeeding on the virtual stage takes practice. Ingram and the team often play together for four hours a day. Afterward, he and the team keep up with league fans who tune in via streaming services to watch and chat.
Now, live-play tournaments at Pan Am Plaza are opening up the esports world beyond the screen.
"It's real fun having fans," Ingram said. "I've actually gotten stopped a few times, and it's actually made my day."
But playing 2K for hours on end, Splashy said players have to balance their mental health on and off the court.
"You're playing the game a lot, and it's not as fun as it used to be, like you're not just waking up to just ... you're not making money. This is, you lose this match in Indy, you don't make money for that month," Ingram said. "So that means you’re just making base salary, a lot of people don’t like making base salary. So it’s a little bit more when you look at it as a business. You need to make sure you're getting your sleep, your rest, you're working out, you need to do something to get your mind away from the game because you don't want to experience burn out."
But as long as he can keep up his interest and skill, players like Splashy can stay pro for a long time.
“I believe that the 2K league can be a great business for most of the NBA2K league players. Because unless you, like, break your thumb, you’re not going to hurt your fingers. You can play for a long time as long as your hand-eye coordination is up to par,” Ingram said.
With esports and online gaming continuing to explode in popularity on the screen, there's a bright future and big career ahead for players ready to cash in on their elite gaming skills.
"I think esports will be here a long time because technology runs the world right now," Ingram said.
There's more information here about the NBA2K League and how to catch a live tournament in Indianapolis.
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