The rest of the tournament saw a lot of early draws between NBBA teams. Telecasters knocked out Triple Double and then was knocked out by Wasted Potential (myself) who proceeded to knockout F.Day Internet Lovers Club and Splash Gang before the top 8. Only two NBBA teams survived into the top 8 but ended up meeting in the finals after D2 standouts ETBU Tigers and Deportivo Saprissa were dealt with in the semis. The LA Lions met Wasted Potential in the Final in what would be one of 3 matches the teams would play over the next 5 days. Wasted Potential elite outside shooting and NT guards Calvin Webb and Philip Mrosla carried the day in the Run and Gun offense where they combined for 62 points on 8-14 shooting from downtown. The LA Lions own Zach Ernst put up 24 points and 12 rebounds in his final game for the team. Wasted Potential won 106-91 and became cup champions for the first time!
NBBA
Without the cup to worry about, the NBBA was dominated by Atelier. 21-1 record with the MVP Greg Lackey leading the way, Atelier entered the playoffs with homecourt and as the team to beat. However, some new talent was emerging in addition to many NBBA teams upgrading their rosters. Telecasters (lead by NT guard Ty Maxwell) came in as the second seed in the Big 8 and newcomer to the NBBA Splash Gang came in 3rd lead by NT big man Luis Turland. Delaware 87ers who spent the least amount of money on their players of any NBBA team (due to their elite training) grabbed the 4th seed on the last night of the season.
In the Great 8 things were more balanced with Triple-Double coming into the 1st seed led by NT forward Tanner Knott. However, manager Sixth decided to retool just before the playoffs leading to the team coming in not at full strength. Wasted Potential beat The LA Lions on the last game of the season to secure the 2 seed despite a bad PD. The LA Lions came in 3rd and F.Day Internet Lovers Club stole the 4 seed at the last game with a 120-point victory. Longtime NBBA team (and I mean they have been in the NBBA a lot) Arizona Cacti ended up in the 5th seed.
In the playoffs The LA Lions pulled off the upset over Wasted Potential, taking advantage of the injury of Philip Mrosla. Alex Corbett (a NT small forward) tried to carry the team to victory, but it wasn’t enough against The LA Lions balanced roster. F.Day Internet Lovers Club knocked off Triple Double but then fell to The LA Lions in the semi-finals. In the Big 8 Atelier made quick work of the competition, beating out Delaware 87ers and then Splash Gang who had defeated Telecasters. The Finals went to 3 games, but in the end, Ateliers monster of a roster (1.4-million-dollar payroll on the last week) was too much. NT bigs Greg Lackey and Christopher Stepp dominated supported by the deepest roster the NBBA has seen in many seasons. If only Slabs had been there to stop them. Congratulations to Apex on the 3rd straight NBBA title and a great dynasty!
End
That is about it. All I have to say now is if you aren’t already on the USA discord then come join us https://discord.gg/QHEpuEAV. Here you can show off your trainees, ask for advice, and trash talk the competition. You can also get involved with the U21 and National Team where we always need more help.
If you hadn’t noticed, the NBBA was dominated by the NT level players. This has been the case for many seasons, and you have to go back years before you find a team that didn’t have a NT player and won the NBBA. Our top NT players are coming to the end of their careers and will need a new generation to take their place and be even better. If you are interested in helping out or training the next USA legend then message khenry to see how you can help (you can also message me if you want!).