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The NBA and Take-Two Interactive—the parent company of 2K Sports—announced the formation of the NBA 2K eLeague on Thursday.

According to Polygon's Samit Sarkar, an NBA press release said the eLeague will be the "first official esports league operated by a U.S. professional sports league."

ESPN.com's Zach Lowe reported the goal is for all 30 NBA teams to own an eLeague team "comprised of five human players [and] will play out a five-month season that mirrors the real NBA season."

However, Lowe reported NBA players will not be represented on the eLeague teams. Instead, members of the clubs "will design on-screen avatars based on their own stylistic preferences."

The Wall Street Journal's Sarah E. Needleman reported that while all 30 NBA teams "have expressed interest" in participating, Commissioner Adam Silver foresees approximately half that many participating for the inaugural season in 2018.

"The popularity of NBA 2K with the young and growing eSports community provides a unique opportunity to develop something truly special for our fans and the gaming community," Silver said, per Sarkar. "We look forward to combining our best-in-class NBA team operators with Take-Two’s competitive gaming expertise to create a brand-new league experience."

According to Needleman, Silver also disclosed that the NBA and Take-Two hope to broadcast matchups online and on television before showing games with title implications in stadium settings.