Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker is officially the NBA's best 2K player after taking out the Players Tournament Sunday (IST).
Booker defeated his Suns teammate Deandre Ayton in the Final, winning Game 1, 72-62 using the Houston Rockets against the Los Angeles Lakers, before sealing the sweep in Game 2, 74-62 with the Denver Nuggets edging Ayton's Milwaukee Bucks.
Booker entered the tournament as the #5 seed and lived up to his billing, going undefeated throughout the tournament and winning five of his six games by double digits.
"It feels good bro," Booker told Ronnie 2K post-game.
"It was a talented field. I said from the beginning it was going to be me and Deandre in the championship and that's how it ended out, but overall man it was a really good time."
"Obviously for a great purpose in the charity work, so I'm excited about it."
With the win, Booker not only gets bragging rights over the rest of the league, but 2K, the NBA and the NBPA will donate $100,000 to Direct Relief and Arizona Food Bank Network in support of coronavirus relief efforts.
🔊 @DevinBook discusses winning the @NBA2K Players Tournament! #NBA2KTourney pic.twitter.com/Tfj7tggLCm
— NBA (@NBA) April 12, 2020
The all-Suns Final featured plenty of trash talk between the two young stars, but Booker had the last laugh.
"I knew what Deandre was capable of," he added. "We have played in the past, you know he's definitely a gamer.
Ayton almost quit out the game 😨🤣 pic.twitter.com/CmSoq3r0TA
— NBA 2K20 (@NBA2K) April 12, 2020
"I played a lot growing up, I've been playing video games for a very long time. It's all about timing, hand-eye coordination, they kind of blend together."
Each participating player chose eight teams to use throughout the tournament, however, they were only able to use those teams once. Ayton brought out the big guns for the Final, with the Lakers and Bucks, but Booker remained confident in his team selection strategy.
"I just had to play the game, I knew he had those two teams left, the Lakers and the Bucks. I went with a different strategy," Booker said.
"I used the Bucks the first game and I wanted to use the Lakers if I was ever facing elimination, so I was saving them, never got to use them.
"Obviously, I didn't lose one game in the tournament, but Deandre's good, he knows how to play, I know he plays the MyPark every single day, but that quick game's little different when you gotta control all five players."
The NBA has found new creative ways to keep players and fans entertained during the shutdown, with the H-O-R-S-E Challenge set to tip-off on Monday. As the league navigates these uncertain times, Booker wants everyone to stay safe and keep doing their bit.
"Everybody's staying safe, I'm trying to relay that message to everybody to stay away, social distancing is a real thing and this is a serious matter."
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