The De La Salle University’s NBA 2K Team will officially be competing at the UAAP S87 Esports Tournament, and its NBA 2K players are more than ready to take over and shoot at winning the big trophy. The current pair that will participate in the upcoming tournament consists of Team Captain Kegan Yap and Jose Parducho, with reserve player Rhiean Bandola under the guidance of their coach, Rial Polog Jr.
Early Beginnings
Jose shared that he started playing NBA 2K when PS4 had its first release and NBA 2K15 was its first ever game at that time for the console. “I started nung bagong labas yung PS4 at that time and that was 2014 and I got the 2K15 game tapos I met some Pinoys online and we started a group and playing competitively. I think that’s where it started booming talaga and as time went by, lumaki siya nang lumaki and everyone played competitively as well,” he added.
Captain Kegan also mentioned that he started playing 2K because of his family being basketball oriented. “On how I started playing 2k, our family loves watching basketball which includes my cousins so we usually have a family gathering where we always play 2K. It got to a point na naging competitive na since may asaranan. Si Jose din isa sa mga unang members ng community and siya rin nag pick-up sa akin like to encourage me to play online so that’s where it all started talaga.”
Team Preparations and Strategies
Yap and Parducho were able to participate in the DLSU Esports Team’s try-outs for NBA 2K last March and have been doing their training every Saturday, although there were also some difficulties as they were unsure during that time whether the UAAP Esports Tournament would push through. “After we’ve been chosen, two weeks after, we’ve been having consistent training every Saturday. At some point, there was a time na parang it became unsure if tuloy ba talaga yung UAAP Esports, dun medyo naging inconsistent but we try parin to meet yung Saturday trainings namin.”
Yap also mentioned that they’ve been training with their coach online and have scheduled meetings whenever they conduct their training. “Sometimes naman we have our one-on-one session with our coach and online naman siya, so it’s very flexible. We just have to message our coach whenever we’re free, and we proceed with our training,” he added.
As for players to watch out for, Parducho mentioned that Ateneo is one of the schools that they‘ve been looking out for as he used to play with them during the early days of NBA 2K. He shared, “I think that Ateneo is one of the schools to watch out for since I used to play with some of their players during the early days of 2K and I can say that they are skilled.”
Additionally, Captain Kegan also mentioned that it’s a pretty close ranking with the top three schools as not only Ateneo but also UP are equally good competitors. Meanwhile, Jose mentioned that they’ve been playing scrimmages recently with their fellow competitors to further study on how they play their game and improve their skills. Yap further added that they always strive to master and be better in every aspect of the game as the opponents they will be facing will surely give them a tough challenge.
Handling Pressure and Tough Challenges
Handling pressure has also been something that both Kegan and Jose do well as they’ve bounced back numerous times whenever they are pushed to their limits. “We try to improve din na maiwasan ma-tilt. Once you start getting tilted sa game, you lose your focus so just focus and have fun and iwasan din magalit. Bilog ang bola, anything can happen during the game and you just have to play and try to win at all times,” Jose mentioned. Yap stated that composure is one of the main attributes that helps them, particularly during tournaments, as it keeps them focused and locked in. “Siguro the best way talaga is to have composure. So we have to stay composed whatever happens to us or whatever our opponents throw at us. We have to keep our head high always even though we’re down — kahit ilang points pa yan, we have to stay composed.”
Captain Kegan stated that their most difficult challenge was losing in the finals of one of their tournaments, which led them to step back and help gather their thoughts to bounce back better. “We had to step back and realize that anything can really happen. There is a lot that we can be better off, and we had to bounce back because we don’t want to be losers; we want to be winners.” Jose was also surprised regarding the outcome as it was something that he had never expected, but at the same time, he believed that the tournament was a success overall. He added, “We had to really gather our game plan and play style and on how we should approach the game. Despite that, it was a successful tournament naman and we had success in beating the other teams naman din.”
Best Moments and Thoughts on the 2K E-Sports Scene
Yap mentioned that one of their most memorable moments was playing competitive Pro-Am game mode and winning the championship on the local league. He gave a background on the difference between Pro-Am and Play Now game mode, as the latter will be the official game mode for the upcoming UAAP tournament. Parducho agreed with Yap’s sentiments and mentioned how good of a teammate their captain is. “Playing with Kegan is very fun! He makes money plays and considers everyone’s feelings din. He also makes sure everyone is included and is a team-first guy which is why he’s such a good teammate.”
Both players also discussed the current state of the NBA 2K E-Sports scene and have mentioned that the community has grown over the years as Jose mentioned that the 2K community has been growing but needs more promotions as he believes that other esports games overshadow NBA 2K. “Di siya masyado pinapansin since kulang sa promotions, but once you try it mae-enjoy mo talaga siya and syempre to have fun na rin at the same time.”
The players have also been part of the 2K community, with Jose starting in 2015 while Kegan started in 2017, and looking back now, the players agree that the community is now much bigger especially with the upcoming UAAP tournament which is also sponsored by Cignal and OneSports, further paving the way for more players and audiences who are interested in watching. “I think it’s really a big stepping stone kasi UAAP is a very huge platform, especially we are sponsored by Cignal and OneSports, so people who are not yet involved with the community can see the players participate in tournament.”
Advice for Players Wanting to Go Pro
Jose mentioned that experience is one of the main factors on going pro. “Siguro for me the best teacher is experience. Like I said earlier I’ve played in the early days since NBA 2K15 and dun talaga ako nagkaroon ng confidence to play the game, every year ko binibili yung game and that’s how I get better. Here I am now, playing for La Salle, and I really think experience lang talaga ma-advise ko. Just do what you do and have fun, yun lang talaga.”
Captain Kegan also agreed with Jose’s sentiments and shared some his own words of wisdom. “If you don’t love what you’re doing, then why are you doing it, diba? If you really want to take the path of an esports player, you have to dedicate the time you have every day or whenever you are free to improve your skills. You really have to stay consistent and stay disciplined. Remember your end goal, your whats and whys as well as maintaining a balance in health and acads and your dream of being an esports player.”
Don’t miss the De La Salle University (DLSU) NBA 2K Team as they clash with the other UAAP teams from August 13 to August 15 at the Doreen Fernandez Black Box in Areté, Ateneo de Manila University.
Their first-round schedule is as follows:
DLSU vs. UE— August 13, 11:30 AM & 12:30 PM
DLSU vs. NU — August 13, 1:30 PM
DLSU vs. UST — August 13, 2:30 PM
DLSU vs. FEU — August 13, 3:00 PM
DLSU vs. AdU — August 13, 4:00 PM & 5:00 PM
DLSU vs. Ateneo— August 13, 5:30 PM
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