*By Jimmy Mondal*
After a tumultuous season and a disappointing 5-9 record, the New York Knicks Gaming team was at the bottom the 2K league barrel.
But clutch seems to be the team's middle name ー the Knicks Gaming squad was able to pull off not one, but two miracle runs to qualify for the NBA 2K League playoffs.
By executing a victory in the TICKET tournament and harnessing the power of the fans at New York City's NBA 2K studio, the Knicks emerged the league winners in the last quarter of the finals match.
But now the question becomes: can the team trounce their competitors a second time?
According to Jeff Eisenband, host and analyst at the NBA 2K League, it's unlikely.
"The short answer I can give you, is probably not," he told Cheddar Sports. "There are 21 teams in the league. There were 17 in year one ー these teams are all so even.”
That said, Eisenband also thinks the team has serious talent on its side, including “ four players coming back, losing the NBA \[2K League\] Finals MVP, Nate Kahl, but … iamadamthefirst is one of the prime players in the league, and a lot of people forget about Goofy757, who is probably, in my mind, the best rebounder in the league.”
As for the future of the Knicks team, Eisenband thinks burnout will be a major factor.
"They had dominated the season, but I also think there’s a sense of burnout in that they had a target on their back the whole season."
Activision Blizzard eSports Leagues CEO Peter Vlastelica spoke with Cheddar's Baker Machado Thursday in preparation for the Overwatch Finals at the Barclays Center.
The Cheddar Sports crew caught up with Goldenboy ahead of the Overwatch Grand Finals for his thoughts on who he thinks will score a win and which players to watch.
The Cheddar Sports crew caught up with the team members of the Philadelphia Fusion, who upset the top-seeded New York Excelsior in the first round of the Overwatch championship. Getting to this weekend's Grand Finals, the team said, is a dream come true.
Stephen Revetria, Senior Vice President of the San Francisco Giants, joins Cheddar's Alyssa Julya Smith to talk hosting the Rugby World Cup Sevens and major tech advances at AT&T Park.
Jay Williams, a second-round pick in the 2002 NBA draft, has been a major proponent of paying college athletes. But he says the league needs real disruption to get those in charge to see the light.
These are the headlines you Need2Know
Mark Griffin, commercial director at USA Rugby, doesn't want to be the NFL or MLB. Rather, Griffin wants to spread the sport by forming rugby clubs at high schools and colleges. "The college infrastructure in America is absolutely incredible and second to none," he told Cheddar.
These are the headlines you Need2Know
Nearly 150 victims of Larry Nassar's sexual misconduct stood on stage Wednesday during the ESPY Awards to accept the Arthur Ashe prize for courage. Josh Hill, Senior Editor at FanSided, explains that their visibility will raise general awareness for sexual abuse, far beyond the arena of sports.
These are the headlines you Need2Know
