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Sacramento Kings to build NBA 2K League training center inside arena

The new 'venue within a venue' will give the team's pro gaming players a state of the art facility.

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Now that the National Basketball Association has its own eSports initiative with NBA 2K League, it's only a matter of time before various teams jump into the digital arena. Qualifiers start January 1st, with draft rounds planned for March of 2018 for a season that's set to begin in May. Further blurring the lines between real and digital sports, the Sacramento Kings have just announced a new eSports training facility to be housed within the Golden 1 Center pro arena.

The idea is to have a "venue within a venue," with a training facility, broadcast center and gamer lounge in the same place where the Kings play pro basketball. The eSports venue will have super fast connections for lag-free gaming, along with theater-style seating for tournaments and events. The professional gamers that end up on the Kings' eSports team will be able to access the same amenities as the NBA athletes, like the farm-to-fork culinary program and an on-demand oxygen bar.

The eSports studio will also be equipped with 4K cameras and green screens to allow the gaming team to create its own content on-site, and will be linked to Golden 1 Center's 4K Ultra HD broadcast center. The studio will also turn into a massive backstage area for touring musical acts, with a ton of video games to play and a DJ rig for musicians to mess around with. Local schools and non-profits will be able to use the complex as well, via the Sacramento Kings Foundation.