Raptors Uprising GC, NBA 2K League affiliate of the 2019 NBA champion Toronto Raptors, became the first franchise in NBA 2K League history to achieve an undefeated regular season Friday evening, sweeping Cavs Legion GC (2-0 series) to record the team’s 16th consecutive victory.
All five Raptors Uprising starters finished in double-digit scoring in the series opener (95-67). Point guard “Kenny Got Work” (Kenneth Hailey) led with 41 points and nine assists, while centre “Sick One” (Jerry Knapp) notched a 10-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in his first game against his former team since being acquired from Cleveland via trade midway through the 2019 season. Raptors Uprising completed the series sweep (90-47), restricting Cleveland to only 47 points – the lowest total Uprising have allowed all season. “Kenny Got Work”, the reigning NBA 2K League Player of the Month and league-leading scorer, notched 48 points, six assists, and five steals while “Sick One” added 17 points, 12 rebounds, eight dimes, three steals, and three blocks in Game 2.
“Congratulations to Raptors Uprising GC on their historic 2020 regular season. Not only are they the first NBA 2K League team to finish the regular season an undefeated 16-0, but they also won the first two tournaments of the season – THE TIPOFF and THE TURN powered by AT&T – and have their sights set on a championship,” said NBA 2K League Managing Director Brendan Donohue. “Their season is a testament to an amazing Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) organization that is committed to building a winning culture on the court and in the community.”
In addition to a plethora of new records established this season, Raptors Uprising went undefeated through 27 matchups in all competitions, winning the two in-season tournaments along the way: THE TIPOFF and THE TURN powered by AT&T. In doing so, they became the first team in the league’s three-year history to capture the first two tournaments of the season, taking home USD $192,000 in prize money for their efforts.
“We came into this season having learned a lot from our first two seasons in terms of the formula for success in the league,” said Shane Talbot, Esports Manager, MLSE. “The group’s unique blend of talent, hard work and chemistry made it clear we had something special this season but we know the job is not finished yet. Our focus now solely shifts to bringing an NBA 2K League championship to Toronto.”
“Kenny Got Work,” the franchise’s first-ever draft pick in 2018, has enjoyed a record-breaking season thus far which has included eight individual accolades since May: four Player of the Week (Weeks 1, 3, 8 and 11), two Player of the Month (May and July) and two Tournament Most Valuable Player (THE TIPOFF and THE TURN) awards. The 30-year-old Memphis native is the longest-serving Raptors Uprising player and is the only player to represent Toronto in all three NBA 2K League seasons.
Following the historic undefeated regular season, Raptors Uprising enter the 2020 NBA 2K League Playoffs as the No. 1 seed and earn a bye into the quarter-finals where they will face the winner of Hornets Venom GT (9-7) and NetsGC (8-8). The 10-team playoffs, with USD $920,000 up for grabs, will tip off remotely Thursday, August 20 and culminate with a best-of-five 2020 NBA 2K League Finals on Saturday, August 29.