Team Wins NBA 2K League Tipoff Tournament Powered By AT&T For Second Straight Year

PHILADELPHIA — APRIL 7, 2019 — 76ers Gaming Club (GC), the NBA 2K League affiliate of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, defeated Celtics Crossover Gaming, 70-52, Saturday night to win the NBA 2K League THE TIPOFF Tournament powered by AT&T for the second consecutive year. Veteran players Ethan “Radiant” White, Antonio “Newdini” Newman, Alexander “Steez” Bernstein and Rashann “ZDS” Petty, who were crucial members of last year’s inaugural TIPOFF Tournament-winning team, were joined this year by recent 2019 draftees Christopher “BreadwinnerLA_” Lafanette and Sean “oCASSIUS” Clayton. Radiant, 76ers GC’s 2018 first-round pick, was named THE TIPOFF MVP for the second straight year.

76ers GC won matches against T-Wolves Gaming (68-57) and Magic Gaming (57-53) prior to the final game against Celtics Crossover Gaming in competitions livestreamed across the globe via the NBA 2K League’s Twitch channel.

 

76ers Gaming Club Head Coach Jeff Terrell:

“THE TIPOFF win feels amazing. The guys played really well this year out of the gate, so we had a better finals experience. Last year we got up big and our opponents came back. This year we kept pushing the envelope. The team played well, all credit to the guys. They put in the work and they deserved everything they got. If felt great to have all four starters back. This team was in this situation last year, they knew what it took to win, and that helped them stay in the moment and stay composed. The team deserves this win. Steez is an unbelievable defensive player. He’s the only center I’ve ever seen who draws charges. He is a very good rebounder and a great captain of our team. With him leading us, the ship always sails straight.  Radiant is an unbelievable player. He is the best player in the league, and we can’t say enough about his game.

76ers Gaming Club General Manager Michael Lai:

“Winning the TIPOFF Tournament back-to-back is an incredible achievement for our players and organization. Everyone from Cassius, our 6th man, to Radiant, the MVP, was integral in our success. This is just the first step in a long season as our focus remains on bringing a championship to Philadelphia.”

76ers Gaming Club, Point Guard, Ethan “Radiant” White: Two-Time TIPOFF Tournament MVP:

“Coming into the tournament we had high hopes, because last year we won the tournament. But this year we became even better, we picked up Breadwinner, who wasn’t supposed to be there when it was our turn to pick in the draft. We grinded every day for two weeks straight, he bought into the system. We knew what our potential could be and we played together and we got the job done. Steez told us that if all just played our hearts out and believed in each other that we’d like the outcome – and we did. Being a two-time MVP of the TIPOFF, I’m just happy to have a team that believes in me and let’s me play my game the way I want to, because without them none of this would be possible. I’m just thankful for the team.”

76ers Gaming Club Center, Alexander “Steez” Bernstein:

“To win it back-to-back two years in a row, it’s amazing; especially to do it with two new team members with us.  It takes a lot to come on to the stage as rookies and be able to ball out and not fold under pressure. Breadwinner and Cassius, even on the sidelines, we’re helping us out, they contributed so much for this team. What 76ers GC brings to the table is a team that’s going to buy into whatever we have to do to accomplish a goal. I told our team before we started each game that if we played for each other, and played for the guy next to us, I promised them that we would not be upset with what the score looked like; and that’s how it came to be. Going into the finals we were very excited because we’d been there before and it felt like it was meant to be to bring back that second TIPOFF.”

The 2019 NBA 2K League season will consist of 16 regular-season contests and two more tournaments, THE TURN and THE TICKET, in which teams will compete for banners that link together to form THE BANNER CHAIN powered by AT&T.

On March 5, 76ers GC completed its 2019 roster by drafting Christopher “BreadwinnerLA_” Lafanette and Sean “oCASSIUS” Clayton in the 2019 NBA 2K League Draft. The two join Ethan “Radiant” White, Antonio “ Newdini” Newman, Alexander “Steez” Bernstein and Rashann “ZDS” Petty, who all led 76ers GC to a No. 2 seed in the inaugural NBA 2K League playoffs last August.