*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."
It was a thrilling finish for American snowboarder Shaun White. The athlete made history Tuesday night by becoming the first snowboarder to win three Olympic gold medals. USA Today sports reporter A.J. Perez weighs in on the significance of this moment.
Transgender athlete Chris Mosier says that times have changed, and there's less at risk for LGBT athletes to be their authentic selves when they compete.
Chipotle announces a new CEO. Dominos and Tinder and teaming up for Valentine's Day. The Director of National Intelligence sounds the alarm on Russia and the midterms elections. Sarah Kauss is the CEO of water bottle company S'well. Her small idea has turned into one of the most successful female-run businesses. Legal technology platform CannaRegs is on a mission to make sense of the legal landscape of marijuana for stakeholders in this growing space. Vermont Governor Phil Scott is asking legislators in his state to speed up equal pay legislation.
After a snowmobile accident during a professional competition in 2008 resulted in the amputation of his leg, Mike Schultz knew there was only one thing to do: find a way to continue competing in the sport that he loves. Ten years later, Mike is now a first-time Team USA and Paralympic Snowboarder. Schultz joined us to share more about his story and what motivates him to get up and get started each day.
This Changes Things: Advice for the executives and leaders of tomorrow, brought to you by American Express OPEN. On Between Bells: Adam Rippon & The Official Johnny G. Weir win the Olympics. With SB Nation, UNO, PCMag, and more.
This is a big year for the Olympics, and in particular, for the LGBT community. The U.S. has its first two openly gay male athletes competing in the Winter Olympics.
The 2018 Winter Olympics are making history for a number of reasons, but one of the biggest stories out of Pyeongchang is the records that openly gay athletes are breaking almost every day. Figure skater Adam Rippon and freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy are the first openly gay men to compete for the U.S. in the Winter Olympics, and they are doing it in style.
Adam Rippon and Gus Kenworthy are the first openly gay men to compete for the U.S. at the Winter Olympics. But they're doing more than bringing home medals -- they might be changing the way America perceives the LGBT community.
On Between Bells: Infrastructure, budget, and John Kelly's future. Plus, major Olympic moments and the first Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue of the #MeToo era. With The Young Turks, Rare Media, The Daily Caller, Royal Canin, and more.
First-time Team USA and Paralympic snowboarder Mike Schultz started out as a motorcross and snowmobile racer. But through developing his own prosthetic, he got into a new sport and was able to launch a new career.
