PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — On Wednesday, inside New York’s Madison Square Garden, 102 of the best NBA 2K players in the world grabbed a chair and took a seat, waiting to see what professional 2K League team they’d be joining.
Elsewhere in The Garden, inside Blazer5 Gaming’s draft room, sat Cameron McAlees, the team’s Esports Operations Manager, preparing to draft the organizations inaugural team. A responsibility so new should’ve made him nervous — it was his first time in MSG, after all. But if that didn’t stress him out, then the back-and-forth, fast-paced conversations inside the war room — with only three minutes in between each pick — surely would’ve done it. He guessed the team videographer, documenting the historic event, might’ve ran miles if anyone was documenting his distance.
Instead, McAlees was relaxed. “Cool, calm and collected,” he said, adding that his scouting team’s preparation was the reason.
For months, McAlees, Talent and Logistics Manager Chase Geddes, and the rest of the Blazer5 Gaming scouting team had analyzed each of the 102 players. They took into account normal basketball metrics — field-goal percentage is as important in video games as it is in real life — while also considering data points vital to digital-basketball success. Dribbles to the basket and release time — how close the player gets to clicking and releasing the perfect shot — were heavily considered.
“I don’t even have words for how complex this was,” McAlees said of the scouting process.
But when it came down to it, McAlees wanted to find a team of six whose overall chemistry matched their skill. He thinks he walked away with exactly that on Monday night.
In the NBA 2K League Inaugural Draft, shown live on NBA.TV, Blazer5 Gaming added 6 players who will train in Portland for the league’s first season.
“We’re extremely excited to be welcoming these players to Portland,” said McAlees in a press release. “Between myself, Chase, and the Trail Blazers organization, we look forward to fully supporting our team in the pursuit of the championship. It has been an incredible experience witnessing the build-out of this league, and we can’t wait to see regular season play tip-off in May!
“I think we got a phenomenal roster.”
Blazer5 Gaming is one of 17 franchises in the new NBA 2K League. The league season will begin in May and run through the championship in August.
The league is a professional esports organization co-founded by the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.
Back in December, when the Trail Blazers announced the addition of Blazer5 Gaming, Chris McGowan, Portland’s President and CEO, said it was a chance for the Trail Blazers to join the “fast-growing world of esports.”
“We’re constantly expanding our engagements with fans, and our online and social media platforms are already some of the most robust in professional sports. Professional esports is next-level extension of our commitment to cultivating deeper connections with our fans.”
Here’s a look at each of the team’s selections:
Dayne (OneWildWalnut) Downey; California – Center (6th overall pick)
Nidal (Mama Im Dat Man) Nasser; California – Point Guard (29th overall pick)
Connor (Dat Boy Shotz) Rodrigues; California – Power Forward (40th overall pick)
Andron (Lavish_Phenom) Thomas; New York – Small Forward (63rd overall pick)
Grant (GRANT MONSTER) Barker; California – Shooting Guard (74th overall pick)
Jomar Varela (Jomar12 PR) Escapa; Puerto Rico – Center (97th overall pick)