WGS Invitational Tournament: Xbox One Player Bios

KingHavoc25 (Tyrell Fields)

PG — Old School

Twitter: @KingHavoc25

Key Tournament Statistics: 11.3 PPG, 5.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, 30 FGM, 68 FG%, 67 3PT%

Played competitive NBA 2K since: NBA 2K16

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K17

Awards: MPBA Classic Champion, 10+ championships

Tyrell “King Havoc” has taken his skill on the real-life court to the virtual court.

“I played a lot of organized basketball growing up in New York in high school,” he said, “I played for the first African American coach in NYC Public School history, may he rest in peace. A lot of knowledge that man taught me, and I try to translate those things to 2K.”

The real-life experience has paid off for KingHavoc, who has marshalled Old School to the live Xbox One Finals in California with 11.3 points and 5.9 assists per game. His stellar shooting—68% from the field, 67% from deep—has played a key role for the team; KingHavoc didn’t miss a single shot in the team’s two-game sweep of Original Brothers in the round of 16.

Performing in big moments has helped KingHavoc toward his goal of making the NBA 2K League. It hasn’t always been easy.

“This game changed my life in a good and bad way,” he said. “I have lost numerous friends working to perfect my craft in trying to make the NBA 2K League. This opportunity to make it on the big stage would be a dream come true knowing the sacrifices I made to get there.”

Winning the live Finals could take him one step closer to getting there.

x I Kno Bash (Matthew Robles)

PG — No Look

Twitter: @BashForever2

Key Tournament Statistics: 12.3 PPG, 4.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.3 RPG, 48 FG%, 45 3PT%

Played NBA 2K since: NBA 2K16

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K18

Awards: Three-time champion

Matthew “I Kno Bash” Robles has found the balance between fun and dedication to his dream.

Bash says his favorite part of playing with No Look is the team’s positive attitude and desire to have fun playing the game. Personally, however, he wants to retain the fun while taking his game to the next level.

“I got into 2K as just playing for fun and then realized I could try and make a career out of this, so I put my all into it,” Bash said. “I pushed a lot of opportunities away to do what I can to try and make this my career.”

Bash has certainly put his all into the WGS Invitational, where he’s averaged 12.3 points and 1.8 steals per game on a dominant No Look team. His particular highlight came in the quarterfinals, where he averaged 21 points in a two-game sweep of SwishE.

“I see myself as a leader,” he said. “I enjoy talking in games and off the court, I have no problem taking accountability for anything. I try to keep my guys locked in and just focused on the next play.”

ShiftyKaii (Dhwan White)

SG — No Look

Twitter: @ShiftyKaii

Key Tournament Statistics: 21.9 PPG, 3.4 APG, 2.6 SPG, 75 FGM, 65 FG%, 55 3PT%

Played NBA 2K since: NBA 2K13

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K18

Awards: Two-time MPBA Champion, MPBA co-MVP, Three-time WR Champion

Dhwan “ShiftyKaii” White has been here before—quite literally, in fact, since he was selected for a 2020 Entry Draft pool spot by NetsGC following their tournament in October. He understands, therefore, the value of such tournaments and appreciates each one.

“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to have the opportunity to compete for a draft spot. Even though I’ve already earned my spot into the season 3 draft pool. I’m excited to try and help one of my teammates earn a spot in this tournament.”

He has helped aplenty by leading his teammates to the live finals, scoring 21.9 points per game and adding 2.6 steals per game to New Look’s menacing defense. The team as a whole has averaged 14 steals per game throughout the tournament.

“My favorite thing about my team is that we work extremely well together for a team that hasn’t been playing together very long,” Kai said.

Kai has spent part of his Pro-Am career playing with now-opponent Saver, winning a co-MVP award with him in a past MPBA season. Their shooting guard duel will be one to watch throughout the series.

iBall Saver (Kevin Machin)

SG — Old School

Twitter: @SaverThaGoat

Key Tournament Statistics: 21.1 PPG, 2.9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 63 FGM, 77 FG%, 78 3PT%

Played NBA 2K since: NBA 2K10

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K17

Awards: MPBA Champion, MPBA co-MVP, WR Season 4 Champion, WR Open Champion, WR Mid-Season Invitational

Kevin “iBall Saver” Machin is more scorer than savior.

“I got into 2K very young, and it’s driven the competitive side of me as motivation to be the best at the game,” he said. “I love NBA 2K. It’s given me a different outlet to not having an ordinary dream.”

Saver, who’ll be going up against former teammate and MPBA co-MVP Kai, has played far above ordinary since picking up the sticks. He knows that reaching towards the pinnacle of performance does not ensure reaching the peak.

As the tournament finals have neared, Saver has lived up to the billing. He’s averaging 29 points per game in his last three WGS Invitational contests, including shooting 26-30 (87%) in a quarterfinals sweep of Nfinite as part of a stellar 77% effort throughout the tournament.

“I think I’m a good player,” Saver said. “I never overrate myself or things like that because I know there’s always room to improve your game, and I like to stay humble and improve.”

Fans can watch the Kai-Saver showdown at 12 p.m. PST (3 p.m. EST) on Sunday, November 10.

Talent_2K 

Twitter: @Talent_2K

Key Stats: 12.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 3 SPG, 36 FGM, 59 FG%, 40 3PT%

Talent submitted a quote:

“We’re all excited to be in the bay this weekend. We have put countless hours on the game to have an opportunity at a chance in the pool. I will do everything I can to put the team in a good situation to win and ultimately help one of these guys turn their dreams into a reality.”

Krazy

SF — No Look

Twitter: @vkrxzy

Key Tournament Statistics: 12.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.5 SPG, 74 FG%, 67 3PT%

Played NBA 2K since: NBA 2K11

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K19

Awards: WR Season 4 & 6 Champion, WR Season 4 Finals MVP, WR Season 5 Mid-Season Invitational Champion, NAPX Tournament Champion, TopTierLeagues Champion

Krazy is relatively new to the Pro-Am scene, but he’s made an immediate impact.

“I only recently started playing Pro-Am in NBA 2K19 because ShiftyKaii and his team, Godsent, needed a lockdown,” he explained. “In the first WR, we played together, we ended up winning the season. We dominated the playoffs and only lost 3 games in the entire run.”

After that season, Krazy was named Finals MVP, and he’s only looked to improve on the team’s dominant run. No Look has not dropped a game during the WGS Invitational, and Krazy’s 2.5 steals per game and 74% shooting from the field have been crucial to the team’s success. It’s been a concerted effort, however, since the team as a whole has forced over 14 opponent turnovers per game and thrived in transition en route to the finals.

“What I like most about my team is the energy we bring every game,” he said. “We feel like there really is not a team that is competing with us as of right now.”

 

Crosshova

PF — Old School

Twitter: @CrossHova2k

Key Tournament Statistics: 6.9 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.3 APG, 0.4 SPG, 50 FG%, 53 3PT%

Played NBA 2K since: NBA 2K11

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K18

Awards: Made the season 2 entry draft pool, Top Tier Leagues Champion on NBA 2K20, WR Open Champion on NBA 2K19

 

Austin “Crosshova” Garrison says he’s back and better than ever.

After taking time off from the game while at college, the first-generation college student returned to Pro-Am in NBA 2K19 after graduating and has found his niche with Old School.

“This season I’ve been locked from jump playing with Old School, my close friends,” he said. “Playing with Old School has helped me pick up the little things in the game to assist in as many ways as possible.”

While Crosshova’s WGS Invitational squad isn’t quite the same players, it’s taught him how to pick up his teammate’s tendencies quickly and adjust accordingly.

“The best thing about this team is the communication and the instinct for the game we have, it makes it much easier to mesh this way,” he said.

Crosshova asserts that he’s a much better player than before. His offball defense, he says, has improved, and his shooting has remained consistent. He’s shooting 53% from beyond the arc, but his favorite contributions are those that don’t show up in the box score.

“I really love making an impact on the game without scoring,” he said. “I’m about playing my role and doing little things that go unseen.”

 

Tbgshiftay

PF — No Look

Twitter: @Tbgshiftay

Key Tournament Statistics: 7.4 PPG, 3 RPG, 3 APG, 3 SPG, 59 FG%, 50 3PT%

Played NBA 2K since: NBA 2K15

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K19

Awards: WR Season 8 Champion

 

For Abud “Tbgshiftay” Noman, NBA 2K was a chance to escape.

“My outside life consists of work; I also play basketball in real life,” he said. “I got into 2K to actually get away from a lot of real-life problems I had going on.”

He began by playing team-up, which offered a chance to compete while getting into the community as a whole. Tbgshiftay then got into Pro-Am in NBA 2K19, winning a WR Pro-Am League tournament after the 2019 NBA 2K League draft. He’s continued his successful run on NBA 2K20 with success in numerous tournaments.

While the game is a sort of escape, Tbgshiftay hasn’t allowed much room for opposing players to escape. He’s averaging 3 steals per game as part of No Look’s impressive defense, which forces over 14 turnovers per game. It’s a symptom of the team’s unity and chemistry on the court and in their party.

“My favorite thing about my team is the way we pick each other up, hype up one another,” he said. “We always have positive vibes in our party.”

 

PLAYOFFZAR (Zartese Smith)

C — Old School

Twitter: @PLAYOFFZAR

Key Tournament Statistics: 6.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1 SPG, 2.3 BPG, 49 FG%

Played NBA 2K since: NBA 2K7

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K18

Awards: WR Season 16 Champion, TopTierLeague Champion, MPBA First Team All-Defense

 

Playing for Old School, Zartese “Playoff Zar” Smith is all about defense.

After being introduced to the game by a childhood friend way back on NBA 2K7, Zar eventually found his way to the competitive scene but retained his love for playing an old school style.

“My favorite thing about my team going into this finals has to be the defense, it’s absolutely what wins championships.”

The former WR champion and MPBA First Team all-defense player has arrived at the finals averaging 2.3 blocks per game, a series high, as well as 1 steal per game. He recorded back-to-back 4-block performances, a tournament first.

“I just love to compete, and being really good at something drives you to unlock potential,” he said.

MrSlaughter01 (Malik Leisinger)

C — Old School

Twitter: @MrSlaughter01

Key Tournament Statistics: 14 PPG, 9 RPG, 3.4 APG, 3 SPG, 54 FG%, 38 3PT%

Played NBA 2K since: NBA 2K15

Played Pro-Am/WR Since: NBA 2K17

Malik “MrSlaughter01” Leisinger is the most experienced player in the pool.

While attending Ohio Wesleyan to play basketball, he added a professional stint in the NBA 2K League to working on his degree in Business and minoring in Accounting.

Slaughter played for Utah Jazz Gaming in season one. He’s back in the draft pool this year after qualifying through Celtics Crossover Gaming’s tournament. Nonetheless, he’s still competing hard in the WGS Invitational for his teammates.

“One of the things I enjoy most about this team is our ability to listen and trust each other,” he said. “It’s very easy playing with these guys.”

He has the experience on the stage, and now he’s looking to win two in a row.

“Playing basketball my whole life at each level has taught me how to become a leader and understand the game at an elite level,” he said.

 

The WGS Invitational Xbox One live finals tip off at 3 p.m. EST/12 p.m. PST on the Warriors Gaming Squad Twitch channel.