*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."
Three-time Stanley Cup champion Martin Brodeur is returning to the sport to head business development for his former team, the New Jersey Devils.
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland is headed to Washington to continue trade negotiations with the U.S. On Monday, Mexico and the United States agreed to terms for a new trade deal.
Electronic Arts is canceling three qualifier events for its 'Madden NFL 19' tournament in the wake of Sunday's deadly shooting in Jacksonville, Florida. The company says it will conduct a review of safety measures to ensure the security of competitors and spectators.
And Kathy Ireland, Chairman Emeritus and Chief Brand Strategist at Level Brands, joins Cheddar after ringing the Opening Bell Tuesday morning. She talks about what has driven the recent success of Level Brands, a brand management and licensing company.
Nick Fullerton, CEO of SportsETFs, has created an ETF that includes companies partnering with pro leagues and teams as an indirect play on the popularity of team sports.
Tennis stars Carolina Wozniacki and Kevin Anderson and USTA Chief Revenue Officer Lew Sherr sat down with Cheddar days before the kick-off of the 2018 U.S. Open. Wozniacki expects some serious competition as Serena Williams is back in the mix after giving birth last September.
NBA Hall-of-Famer Clyde Drexler, commissioner of the BIG3 3-on-3 league, sat down with Cheddar and talked about those rumors that Kobe Bryant might join the league, as well as the league's push to bring 3-on-3 ball to Tokyo 2020.
Facebook was forced to remove its data security app, Onavo, from the App Store after Apple updated its data collection guidelines. Meanwhile, the social media giant also voluntarily removed the quiz app, myPersonality, from its platform after the app improperly collected data on more than 4 million users. And we're joined by Mike Francesa, New York sports radio legend, to hear about the launch of his new app, 'Mike's On.'
These are the headlines you Need2Know.
Jason Robins, DraftKings CEO, told Cheddar the company has been working on several ventures to capitalize on the Supreme Court ruling that cleared the way for states to allow sports betting. The company's first such product rolled out this month.
These are the headlines you Need2Know.:
NEO U, a new gym in New York, is not just a place to get in shape, it's a studio where fitness professionals can share their workouts with online followers around the world. The co-founder Nate Forster wants trainers and partners like Soul Cycle, Equinox, and Peloton to see the NEO U platform as an opportunity, not competition.
