Warriors Gaming Squad (13-3) will make their first-ever appearance in the NBA 2K League Finals on Friday with MVP candidate Charlie “CB13” Bostick leading the way against Wizards District Gaming (13-3).
CB13 has been the team’s go-to playmaker and scorer for the entire season, and that won’t change for the biggest series yet.
The Warriors point guard averaged over 34 points and 8 assists per game in the regular season, and has put up almost identical numbers in the postseason.
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This Finals matchup will be the first time these two teams play each other this season, but the Warriors’ current nine-game winning streak in the playoffs and regular season has CB13 feeling confident heading into the best-of-five matchup for the title.
“I feel like we’re playing at our best right now,” CB13 told NBC Sports Bay Area. “Honestly, we could get better, which is scary. We could win the championship and never hit our peak.”
The key for the Warriors in this matchup, according to CB13, is their ability to adapt to any style of play, whether it’s a high-scoring shootout or a low-scoring defensive battle.
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The Warriors have also been in this situation before. Not in the League Finals, but tournament finals are nothing new for the players who were on last year’s team.
Last season, the Warriors became the first team in NBA 2K League history to win two in-season tournaments in the same year.
“You’re playing against a team that’s been here and done that before,” CB13 said.
The Wizards, who have an MVP candidate of their own in Ryan “Dayfri” Conger, are no stranger to winning big games as well. WDG upset the undefeated Raptors Uprising GC in the semifinals, an outcome many people didn’t see coming.
For much of the season, the Warriors and Raptors were on a collision course for the Finals.
While it would have been a fun rematch of the 2019 NBA Finals, CB13 is ready to do what needs to be done to take home the title.
“It does kind of stink, but regardless, I don’t care if I’m playing you and your friends, if we’re playing for this amount of money, I want to win it, “ said CB13. “I’m just as motived to play the Wizards and write my name, the Warriors name, as champions.”
Champion and MVP are two names CB13 may soon be able to call himself. Both would be very much deserving, but he’s not as much concerned with the title of MVP as he is with being called a champion.
“MVP finalist is a cool nod to get,” said CB13. “I’m happy my hard work has paid off in that nature, but winning the championship would mean way more to me.”
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This year has been different for sports and society as whole. Almost all professional sports leagues have had to change up how they normally operate in order to combat the coronavirus.
For the NBA 2K League, that change came in the form of remote gameplay. This was the first time every matchup was played remotely with each team in their own market.
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With that change comes new obstacles for teams and players to deal with. For example, playing through a slower internet connection from a residential apartment in the heart of San Francisco or being away from family for an extended period of time because traveling home is not an option has made things difficult.
The tough road through Season 3 has made what Warriors Gaming Squad has accomplished this year that much more impressive.
“For me personally, I think it’s more of an accomplishment.” said CB13, a native of Broad Channel, New York. “I’ve been (in San Francisco) since February 15. I’ve been here for six months and 12 days now and it’s really a lot. This is it. I’ve been here for six months, might as well finish the job.”
So how would an NBA 2K League Champion and potential MVP celebrate his accomplishments during such different times?
The normal Disney World line is probably out the window this year and popping champagne, well, he may not be quite old enough for that yet.
“I’m only 20, so I can’t really get into too much crazy things,” CB13 said. “But I’m going to celebrate it the best way that I can, probably with some good food afterward and hanging out with the rest of the team.”