The NBA 2K League is known for its high tensions between teams because of the close proximity of the players in the arena. During the league’s first day of the 2019 regular season on Wednesday, these tensions boiled over into a postgame handshakes fight between Hawks Talon GC and Celtics Crossover Gaming.
The game before the fight
The game between the two squads was tight through the first three quarters. Celtics Crossover was up by one point going into the fourth. The trash talk between players from both teams started to escalate in the second half.
Hawks Talon GC began pulling away in the fourth quarter and won the first game of its inaugural season 68-58. The emotions poured over into the postgame handshakes shortly after the game.
The postgame
Celtics Crossover’s Albano “oFAB” Thomallari and Hawks Talon’s Randolph “Rando” Moreno met at center stage and gave each other a shoulder bump. Words were exchanged before Thomallari shoved Moreno. Both teams were quick to remove their respective players from each other, but fans could still hear the two sides yelling as the broadcast went immediately to break.
When the broadcast came back from break, there was no mention of the fight. The casters continued with brief analysis and the next game.
Although this would be the first fight on broadcast for the NBA 2K League, it may not come as a surprise to most fans. The league made it a point for season two to cut down on the trash talk. League officials threatened technical fouls to teams and players that crossed the line this season.
you okay, @CLTXGaming? pic.twitter.com/85dRBC83b0
— Hawks Talon GC (@HawksTalonGC) April 11, 2019
No word yet from either team or the league on possible suspensions or fines from the fight. It looks like any corrective actions will be handled in-house. However, the Hawks Talon Twitter account seems to be enjoying the win. Both teams are done competing for the week, but the opening week of the NBA 2K League season continues Thursday and Friday with nine more high-emotion games.
