When it comes to basketball, Red Deer College Kings guard Tyronn King has demonstrated an impressive skillset beyond the court at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre.

Over four weeks of online competition, King had a perfect 10-0 record in the NBA 2K Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Gaming Challenge, using PlayStation 4.

This unblemished performance earned him first place.

With the absence of Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) competition this year due to COVID-19, King embraced the opportunity to participate in this event created by the CCAA in coordination with Uniting Gamers. “It was definitely a great experience - fun, and something competitive to do, especially right now with COVID-19 going on,” said King, who rose to the top among 32 participants from CCAA member postsecondary institutions. “The people hosting it were great. They communicated well with the players and had everything set up nicely.”

In order to continue advancing to the next round, King had to win the best of three games. It was randomly determined which player received first choice of current NBA teams. Participants could not select the same team and King had two squads that he relied on. “I always picked either the Brooklyn Nets or the Milwaukee Bucks every game of the tournament,” said King, who identified the Nets as his favourite team. “I didn’t want to take a chance of losing one game of the tournament, so I made sure I always came out with fire power.”

Once I got to the finals, I felt ready,” explained King. “In the last two games, I was able to put my bench [players] in fairly early and won 57-43 and 54-42.”

NBA2K bracket. Photo courtesy of RDC

 

While balancing academics and training, King’s hobby of playing basketball video games was a recipe for enjoyment and success in the CCAA Gaming Challenge. “In my free-time, I play [NBA] 2K, so that was my preparation,” said King. “It was pretty cool, knowing that I had a game each week, and being out of physical competition for so long, I looked forward to the days when I played.”

The talented RDC student-athlete, who finished second in team scoring last year with 18.8 points per game, recommends this type of gaming challenge to others. “Overall, it was fun and I would encourage anyone who plays 2K for fun or competitively to get involved in one of these tournaments,” said King, who will enter his fifth year of eligibility when ACAC competition resumes. “It’s definitely exciting and something to do during these COVID-19 times when there’s not much competition going on.”

For winning first place in the CCAA Gaming Challenge on March 18, King will receive a memorable gift. “It is a customized ring from Jostens, so that’s pretty cool,” he said.

**with information provided by RDC