How an Elite Group of eSport Ballers Got to Play in NBA 2K
*By Mike Teich*
Top video game players finally have a path to becoming pro-gamers and a shot at $1 million in prizes, said Brendan Donohue, the managing director of the NBA 2K League.
The league is a video game competition organized by the makers of the NBA 2K game and the National Basketball Association. As esports have risen in popularity, competitions like this one give gamers a chance to cash in on their talents. First-round picks in the inaugural draft can earn $35,000 for six months of play.
The pay may not stack up against actual NBA salaries, but NBA 2K League players are excited about their earnings and the progress esports have made over the past 14 months, said Donohue.
More than half of the pro hoops teams are participating in the first season of the NBA 2K League as partners. The teams built their e-rosters through a draft on April 4. A total of 72,000 video game players qualified for the league, with 102 making the final cut.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/inaugural-season-for-nba-2k-league).
A Senate bill unveiled on Wednesday looks to tackleonline safety for children by regulating Big Tech and social media platforms to deter users from content that can harm their mental health. Irene Ly, a policy counsel for the age-based ratings and review organization Common Sense Media, joined Cheddar News to break down the potential of the Kids Online Safety Act. "We can't be imposing such a big burden on parents to be doing it all on theirselves," Ly said. "I think you also have to keep in mind that parents often didn't grow up with social media, so they don't understand what it's like to be addicted to social media or really understand how they work."
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Marc Blinder, Co-Founder and CEO of Aikon, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he discusses how his company is helping businesses use blockchain applications without needing to learn the intricacies of the new technology.
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Ride share competitors Uber and Lyft both posted their fourth quarter earnings days apart from each other. Both companies have been trying to get back on their feet after taking some pandemic-related hits, but the Omicron variant had other ideas as the year came to a close, with each company taking a hit in ridership in December. Lance Ippolito, head trader at The Future of Wealth explains how Uber and Lyft measured up this earnings period and why Uber may still have an edge over the competition.
