| Pacers Gaming | |
| Parent Group: | Pacers Sports & Entertainment |
| Founded: | 2017 |
| Partners: | Indiana National Guard |
| Affiliation: | Indiana Pacers |
| Colors: | Navy blue, gold, cool gray |
Pacers Gaming is an esports team competing in the NBA 2K League (NBA 2KL or 2KL). They are a venture of Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E), which owns the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), as well as the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)'s Indiana Fever, and the Indiana Mad Ants of the NBA G League.
Pacers Gaming was founded in December 2017 as part of the Pacers Sports & Entertainment (PS&E) umbrella.[1] The team's founding was led by Kelly Krauskopf, at the time the team president of the Indiana Fever of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), as well as the Senior Vice President of the Indiana Pacers.[2] The team competes in the NBA 2K League, a joint venture between the NBA and Take-Two Interactive, the publisher of the NBA 2K video game franchise.[3] The Pacers were one of the first teams to join the 2K League.[2] Cody Parrent serves as the team's Senior Director of eSports Operations, equivalent to the head coach and general manager of the team.[4] The team is sponsored by the Indiana National Guard.[5]
In the first 2K League Draft, Pacers Gaming selected Bryan "WoLF 74" Colon, a 22-year old from New York, with the 13th overall pick.[6] During the 2018 season, WoLF 74 was selected All-Tournament Second Team in the league's Tip-Off Tournament.[7]
The team won five games in its first season; the following year, they doubled their win total and clinched a playoff berth.[8]
Beginning in 2022, the NBA 2KL added a 3v3 format, which would be played over the course of three tournaments as opposed to a traditional regular season.[9] That season, the league returned to in-person competition, after two years of remote play due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[10] In the 2KL's 3v3 format in 2022, Pacers Gaming had a league-best 17–6 record, earning the number-one seed and a first-round bye for postseason play. They lost in their first championship tournament matchup, 3 games to 0, to Rim Runners, an amateur team.
A sister team of the NBA's Indiana Pacers, the Pacers Gaming logo features a stylized version of Boomer, the Pacers' mascot.[1] [11] In the press release announcing Pacers Gaming, the logo was called a "modernized Pacers Panther".[1] Like the NBA team, Pacers Gaming's logo is blue and yellow.
| Season | Finish | W | L | Win% | Playoffs | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 5 | 9 | .357[12] | N/A | Cody Parrent | ||
| 2019 | 10 | 6 | .625[13] | N/A | Cody Parrent | ||
| 2020 | 4 | 12 | .250[14] | N/A | Cody Parrent | ||
| 2021 | 2nd | 20 | 8 | .714[15] | L Second Round (Jazz Gaming)[16] | ||
| 2022 | 6 | 11 | .353[17] | ||||
| 2023 | 11 | 13 | .458[18] |
| Season | Finish | W | L | Win% | Playoffs | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1st | 17 | 6 | .739 | Lost 3v3 Championship Tournament (Rim Rummers, 3–0)[19] | ||
| 2023 | 14 | 12 | .538 | N/A |