Yeah I Compete was picked Number 3 overall in the inaugural NBA 2K League Draft in 2018. Ria was the Number 1 pick overall in the 2019 Season 2 draft. Lotty and Coach Comp2K are veterans of the community. In a word, Jazz Gaming has talent. Lots of it. They’re also the first to tell you that they have something to prove in Season 3. 

After finishing 5-9 in Season 1 and 8-8 in Season 2 (and narrowly missing the playoffs after finishing the year strong), the challenge is clear: Get to the postseason in 2020. To do that, the Jazz Gaming core has laid out a plan that they’ve been working on finessing this offseason. Learn more about their ‘Value’ motto in NBA2KLeague.com’s latest sit-down. 

Question: Let’s start with Season 2. How’d you guys think you fared as a team, and what will you be building on to prep for Season 3? 

Comp: I’ll start with Season 1. We went 5-9 in our first year. In Season 2 we managed to go 11-11 with a semi-finals appearance. The feeling is great, we have a good core of players moving forward, and we’re just building on that. 

Compete: Going into Season 1 and 2, they felt eerily similar because we started off good. Season 1 we started off 5-2 but then lost a few in a row and we couldn’t get back over that wall. Season 2, we started off 4-2, got hot and finished top 3 in the Vegas tournament, then finished the season 8-8. I’m really disappointed in terms of Season 2 because I felt like we had the talent to make the playoffs for sure, but I’m definitely excited about the core we have in place. I feel like the chemistry is as high as it’s ever been, and I think Season 3 will be special. 

Lotty: Season 2, I had an up and down year, I was traded to Utah from Heat Check Gaming. When I got here, it felt like home. When we got into practice mode, it felt good. I feel so great about Season 3. We have great players, a great coach and a great organization to push us into the playoffs and maybe a championship.

Ria: I feel like Season 2 was a bit of a letdown, based off of the team and the talent we had. Like Compete said, we started of hot, finishing Top 3 in the Vegas tournament, and then it all sort of fell apart. After the Lotty trade, we bounced back and ended the season on a high note. Going into the offseason, we built a lot of chemistry that I feel like puts us in a really great spot going into Season 3. 

Q: Lotty let’s talk about that big trade. What was it like for you mid-season to transition onto a new team? What were the positives over uniting with your friend Compete? 

Lotty: Going to Jazz Gaming, it was a no-brainer. Me and Compete fit so well together (having played together in the past in Pro Am). Ria is a great player. I didn’t need to learn anything about Ria because I already knew how he played because of all the film I watched. It was easy for me, but I still feel like we could have capitalized by making the playoffs. We missed out by only a game. That was disappointing. So for Season 3, we’ll have me, Compete and Ria for an entire season, plus the rest of our guys, I’m excited for it. 

Q: Compete, you’re the old vet of the organization. You went Number 3 overall in the 2018 draft as Jazz Gaming’s first-ever draft pick. Is there an added chip on your shoulder this year since you haven’t yet made the playoffs? 

Compete: There’s absolutely a chip on my shoulder. Season 1, I had a good statistical year but that didn’t translate enough for us as a team to make the playoffs. Season 2, I felt like I took a step back, but team-wise we had a better record. To me, it’s not about the stats, it’s about winning games. I feel like I haven’t contributed enough to the success of the organization in the way that they’ve wanted me to, so I’m definitely hungry going into Season 3. I’m starving to play in a playoff game. My whole career leading into the 2K League has been nothing but successful. I’ve always won on the same level as a lot of these 2K League players, so it is frustrating. But we’re definitely optimistic about next season. We’re on the game every single day, playing together. We feel good. 

Q: Ria, as the number 1 pick last year heading into Season 2, talk to us a bit about how you started the season compared to how you finished? Were there aspects of your game that you improved on as you progressed? 

Ria: I feel like there was no real progression on the court. I think the big thing for me was off the court. I got a lot more comfortable with the team, and that allowed me to be more comfortable on the game. I feel like that puts us in a really good spot heading into next year. I feel like when I’m comfortable, I think I’m one of the better players in the NBA 2K League. 

Q: What parts of your game specifically have you worked on to improve this offseason? 

Comp: After every game, I normally get on the phone with Compete and Lotty to speak about things that we need to work on, things that may or may not work in the 2K League with next year’s meta. We speak every day/ 

Q: Guys, what are your favorite aspects of Comp the coach? What do you love most about playing for him? 

Lotty: He lets you be yourself. There’s not that much pressure. You don’t have to show out and always make the right play. He’s got your back for the next play, at the end of the day. He’s not gonna scream at you, he’ll let you play a game, but like he said, it’s about accountability for htat possession, but we also have to move onto the next possession, and that’s what I love about him. 

Compete: Comp definitely lets you play your game. You go out there and do your thing. But he lets you know the things we’re supposed to be doing as a team. His biggest thing was us playing to a certain standard. This isn’t about us playing on the platform… we’re talking about practice, anything. He knows what we’re capable of. If we’re not playing to that certain standard, then he holds us accountable. Then we go back, watch the film and review things. On the court, he lets us play our game and that’s been able to give us the success we’ve had. 

Ria: Off the court, he’s just one of the guys. Easy to get along with.

Q: We’ve talked a lot about the importance of team chemistry with other teams across the league– How important is it for you to maintain a high level of team chemistry heading into the new Season? 

Comp: As you can see, we have a tight-knit chemistry here. Chemistry is very important for the team. It’s an interesting situation coming into the Jazz organization. You have a team with established leaders, established co-captains, so everyone knows their role coming in. Off jump, the chemistry is always at 100. 

Q: Does that make you feel like there’s an inherent advantage for you then heading into next year? 

Compete: Right, I definitely feel like chemistry is the most important thing in the 2K League. For a lot of the players, once you’ve played on a build for a certain amount of times, you start seeing the same things, or same levels of play. The chemistry is what separates certain teams, like you see what Philly (76ers GC) has, you look at what the T-Wolves did (Season 2 champions). Once certain teams get that chemistry flowing, it’s so easy to play 2K at that point. Off the court, sometimes people don’t feel comfortable with one another, which could spill onto the court. So I definitely feel like team chemistry a top priority for success. We have that at a high level. Right now we want to come into Season 3 with that established and then we just have to play our game. 

Lotty: Going into the Draft, we already know what we have for Jazz Gaming: Chemistry. Me and Shaka played together, and me and Ria have also played together, and our chemistry is established both on and off the court. If we can get three players to help us grow the chemistry off the court, it’ll always show on the court. 

Ria: Chemistry for me on the court is knowing what your teammates are going to do in a certain situation. You get familiar with them, and for instance, if I get a defensive rebound, I know Lotty’s out. I know how he plays. if I step up on a screen I know Shaka’s trying to box out the corner. It’s the little things that your teammates will do, it’s the trust factor. And off the court, when you have that bond with one of your teammates, it’s one of the best feelings in the world. It’s one of your guys, you know? 

Q: Compete and Lotty, you’re NBA 2K League vets at this point. Can you reflect a little bit about how the league has grown in just three years time? 

Compete: I’ve definitely seen a lot of changes in regards to social media. A lot of different interactions, we’re getting a lot of people involved from outside of the community, NBA guys, folks who are having all these interactions with the League. It makes the game that much more exciting to watch. I feel like Season 2 was very exciting. The gameplay and visuals got better. We’re just growing and growing and growing. The tournaments- we had a chance to travel to Vegas and Orlando, so we’re taking this show on the road. I think that’s extremely important. When you look at the Combine, you look at the European Invitational coming up, the APAC event last season… there are so many things going on. Those are the events that’ll help take us to the next level. Giving people a chance to see this league in person… watching the games on stream and watching the games in person is completely different. I really feel like that’ll take us to the next level. 

Lotty: The thing I’ve seen improve is the players coming into the league who have different stories, making things very interesting. You have Chiquita as the first woman to become a 2K League player. Me leaving my police job, sacrificing a career to support a dream. Bear winning the championship after having a chip on his shoulder, there’s so much backstory to the League and it provides a lot of entertainment for the League. There are a lot of great players coming into this draft pool to make one of the best leagues out there. 

Q: Lotty, your story in particular, there were no regrets passing up a promising law enforcement career to play in the League, right? 

Lotty: Yeah there’s really no regret there. I don’t care about how much I’m getting paid. I’m waking up happy every day, I’m doing everything with my brothers. I met Ria and Comp, they’re a couple of my closest friends now, along with Arooks from Bucks Gaming. We’re all succeeding at living our dreams. 

Q: Talk more about the on-location vibes that tournaments like THE TURN and THE TICKET offer fans. The atmospheres are amazing. What are fans missing out on if they’re not experiencing an NBA 2K League game in person? 

Compete: Definitely the intensity, the competitiveness of all the players. Games get personal for some players, there’s a lot of trash talk. A lot of gamesmanship within the game itself. A lot of things are said to try and throw folks off their game. It’s incredible to see, especially if you follow any of the players in their streams and get attached to them. You see them making these runs and it’s very entertaining. Even though we lost to Knicks Gaming in THE TICKET last season, to see the Knicks go on that winning streak… they were losing the entire regular season but they just turned it on in Orlando and got going. They were dancing, having a blast, there are certain teams that’ll do things and you’ll be surprised by it. As a fan coming into a live setting, it gets very entertaining.

Comp: I think every fan should come out to visit the arena. I don’t want to compare it to an NBA-style game, but every event you go to, it’s a different crowd and a different atmosphere. It’s even different than the crowd at the studio, whether its kids night, or 76ers GC bringing their people in to watch the postseason games, whether it’s CB13 from Warriors Gaming Squad bringing in his family. It’s definitely exhilarating. Come check it out if you have time! 

Q: What will it take for Jazz Gaming to get over the hump and make the playoffs this season? 

Lotty: We can get over the hump if we land three genuine guys (in the draft) that come in and buy into the system and be brothers on the court and off the court. Just listen to the coach and the leaders on the team. We’re all playing for the same cause. We all want to win, and win big money. If we can be all on board, with this coach and this organization? I feel like we can take off to the moon. 

Compete: I feel like whomever comes in, we’ll set that standard from Day 1. We want them to understand what we’re trying to do here, it’s not just playing for fun, we’re just taking this as seriously as we can take it. We’ve had the talent and not made the playoffs for two seasons. Even if we’re talented, there’s a chance we still won’t make it if we don’t work hard. So we have to keep that same standard and energy, no matter who we’re playing, and just grind it out. If we do that, we’re gonna make the playoffs for sure. 

Ria: Really it’s just one word in my opinion, and that’s trust. If all six players on the court trust each other, I don’t think we’ll lose a game. Skill only goes so far. When you have that trust and chemistry built, that takes you over the hump. 

Comp: We just have to trust each other and that we value every possession of every game. That’s the motto going into Season 3, and that’s how we’ll make the playoffs.