NBA 2K Players Tournament organizers hope to stage future events

The positive reception of this year's inaugural NBA 2K Players Tournament has organizers intrigued about the possibility of staging similar events going forward.

"We're proud of what we've pulled off here. And I think we will try to do more of these in the future, regardless if we're in the current situation or if we have live sports back," Matt Holt, the NBA's senior vice president of global partnerships, told the Los Angeles Times' Andrew Greif on Friday.

Specific viewership numbers haven't been disclosed, but Jason Argent, NBA 2K's senior vice president for sports strategy and licensing, told Greif in an email that the event has become "ESPN's most-watched esports broadcast in history."

Since getting underway on April 3, the event has offered many memorable moments for fans starving for basketball content, most notably through players' interactions outside the game itself.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley, one of the tournament's four finalists, has displayed elite trash-talking skills on multiple occasions, while Washington Wizards rookie Rui Hachimura has tried to ensure his gaming skills are in peak form by hilariously bringing in his own waterboy and, apparently, a coach.

"It's great to see these players and it's fun to see them in their home environment," Holt said. He added: "While we all wish we were playing NBA games, this is definitely a good, next-best thing that we're proud of."

The tournament's champion - one of Beverley, his Clippers teammate Montrezl Harrell, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, or Suns center Deandre Ayton - will be crowned on April 11.