*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."
Jaymee Messler, co-founder and president of Players' Tribune, told Cheddar how the company is creating a platform for athletes to expand their interactions with fans on Twitter.
Sarah Robb O'Hagan, CEO at Flywheel, tells us how her company is expanding beyond buying real estate with its indoor cycling classes. She's now bringing her spinning into fans homes with a new bike.
Professional Wrestling start Mike "The Miz" Mizanin, who got his start on "The Real World," joined Cheddar to talk about hosting the new MTV show "The Challenge: Champs vs. Stars." He also discusses the network's revival of longtime fan favorite "TRL" and other professional wrestling favorites.
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Roc Nation boxer Luis Arias joined Cheddar to predict the outcome of Saturday's fight. He says he's ready for war and responds to opponent Daniel Jacobs' hopes to knock Arias out.
According to the Houston Astros player, he's not the only one in the clubhouse that owns stock in the iPhone maker.
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The legendary skateboarder offers platforms for those who love the sport, but have very little support. "I want to provide facilities for them to really shine," he says.
The American pro racer addresses rumors around her future: she is still figuring out whether retirement is on the horizon. In the meantime, she tells Cheddar about honoring U.S. veterans.
