As one of the premier duos in the NBA 2K League, Blazer5 Gaming’s MamaImDatMan and OneWildWalnut have been on the forefront for almost every award through Season 2. Whether it is their close friendship off the court or their Stockton-Malone-like play on it, they have been an inseparable pair since being Portland’s top two picks last season. NBA2KLeague.com caught up with them to talk about their relationship, Season 2, and what we can expect from the pair in the future.

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Q: You two have been on a different level this year from a basketball perspective, the pick and roll has been lethal and really helps open up shots on the outside. What is the biggest difference for you two between this year and last?

Mama: Last year we were dominant, this year we’re dominant again. It’s our chemistry, it’s really good. Every day we hang out, we talk about what we can better on and I think that’s the biggest difference. Other teams don’t talk with their center, they don’t converse like me and Dayne do, so at the end of the day no one can match our intensity, no one can match the chemistry we have.

Walnut: I think it starts with our friendship off the court. We both relate with each other, we’re both young. We’ve clicked on 2K outside of the league for the past 5-6 years that we’ve known each other. He’s the point guard that I wanted to play with before the league started. He slipped to the 2nd round and we drafted him and the rest is history. Our pick and roll is the best in the league by far, I know when to slip, we know how to get each other open, it’s a two way street. Like I say to everyone, you’re not going to be able to stop both of us, so at the end of the day one of us is going to go off.

Q: Mama, you have been almost unstoppable this year, but everyone has things they want to clean up. Do you think there is a weakness in your game that you’ve been looking to work on?

Mama: Of course, every player has a little weakness. I know mine, but I’m not going to tell my secret. At the end of the day, I got something to work on and I got something to prove every single day. Day in and day out, I’ll keep improving.

Q: The center spot in this league is arguably the most stacked in terms of overall talent. Walnut, you just seem to have this extra kick to your game that other centers can’t seem to keep up with. Where does it come from?

Walnut: I’m a paint scorer and a rebounder. We saw it last season and its translated to this year. I’m big on rebounding and my positioning. I’m always in the right place at the right time for the most part. Obviously, I got Defensive Player of the Year last year, so with the timing of steals and blocks, I try to always be in the right spot.

Q: You guys won THE TURN last year, but this year is different. We’re in Las Vegas for the first tournament outside of New York City for the league, what does it mean for you guys to be going in as one of the top seeds?

Walnut: We plan on winning it just like last season. We have all the momentum and I think everyone knows we’re the No. 1 team. It doesn’t really matter what other people think and at the end of the day we know that we’re the best team and we’ll continue to prove that.

Mama: We’re going in with momentum and when Blazer5 goes in with momentum, Tsunami 5 the flood is coming. We’re ready for Vegas, we’re the best team on and off the court and we’re ready to prove it in Vegas. Everyone knew we were the best team last year and some unfortunate things happened. This year again, we’re 5-1, feeling good, looking good, playing good and we have a target on our back.

Q: Vegas is a different animal though, how can you help keep this team focused?

Walnut: We have a younger team, but we’re a tight knit group and we’ll keep each other accountable. We know the end goal is getting that money at the end of the tournament and holding that banner. We know what it feels like to hold that banner from last season. It’s so sweet, it feels so good, and so we want all that momentum to carry to the next tournament and then obviously to the playoffs after that where we want to win the championship.

Q: What are you guys going to do with the money if you win in Vegas?

Walnut: Hey, you know 401K and all that, but mostly enjoying it and spending a little on each other. The first thing we have to do is get past the 1^st round, collect some money, and get some momentum to the championship and then we can talk. There might be some shoes and nice slides on the way, regardless if we win but it would surely make it easier.

Mama: Oh man, we’re going to go nuts. I’m not sure what we’re going to do with the money, but on stage, it’s going to be a show. Hopefully we’ll win and get to show everyone our energy, but we’ll see.