Benjamin “Benzo” Bernstein named 2024 NBA 2K League Rookie of the Year

Wizards District Gaming's No. 1 overall draft pick takes home top honor for first-year players

Washington, D.C. (June 26, 2024)- On Wednesday night, the NBA 2K League announced that Benjamin "Benzo" Bernstein of Wizards District Gaming(WDG) was selected as the 2024 NBA 2K League Rookie of the Year.

The honor caps a stellar first professional season for Benzo, who starred at point guard for Wizards District Gaming, the Washington Wizards' NBA 2K League affiliate owned and operated by Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE). In January, Wizards District Gaming selected Benzo with the top overall pick in the 2024 NBA 2K League Draft.

"It's a major challenge for a player to live up to the hype as the number one overall draft pick but Benzo has exceeded all our expectations this year," said Patrick Crossan, Wizards District Gaming Head Coach & General Manager. "His rare combination of playmaking ability and basketball IQ has been a major asset to our team and helped him achieve recognition as one of the best players in the league. We're incredibly proud of all his accomplishments."

During his rookie campaign across all 5v5 competitions, Benzo averaged 25.5 points and 14.9 assists per game while shooting 53.4% from the field and 49.1% from three-point range. Some of his top moments included a 40-point, 23-assist performance against Hornets Venom GT on May 29 and a 40-point, 16-assist outing against NBL Oz Gaming on June 5. In both games, Benzo led the way as Wizards District Gaming scored more than 100 points and secured the win. During the 3v3 portion of the season, Benzo averaged 10 points and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 51% from the three-point line.

Widely regarded as a can't-miss prospect before entering the draft, the Montclair, NJ native had been one of the best NBA 2K prospects in the Pro-Am scene for several years before becoming eligible for the NBA 2K League this season.  

Benzowas the second No. 1 overall pick in WDG franchise history. With the first pick in the 2020 Draft, WDG selected Jack "JBM" Masconewho went on to lead WDG to two League Championships in 2020 and 2021, winning Finals MVP in 2021. 

Wednesday's announcement was made during the NBA 2K League 5v5 Playoffs, which are being hosted for the second consecutive season at District E Powered by Ticketmaster, MSE's nearly 14,000 square-feet live-event theater offering a 365-day-a-year series of immersive experiences in esports, music, event programming, and community events. The venue also provides a best-in-class competition and training venue for the esports franchises Monumental owns, operates, and invests in, including Wizards District Gaming, Caps Gaming, District Elite and Team Liquid. 

For the latest information on Wizards District Gaming, click here, and follow the team on X (WizardsDG), Instagram (WizardsDG), Facebook (WizardsDG), Twitch (WizardsDG) and YouTube (WizardsDistrictGaming).

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About Wizards District Gaming
Wizards District Gaming, owned and operated by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, is part of the NBA 2K League, a professional esports league co-founded by the NBA and Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTWO). Launched in 2018, the league features the best NBA 2K players in the world. Wizards District Gaming drafts and/or retains gamers as part of a team that competes as unique characters in matchups against 24 other teams in a mix of regular-season games, tournaments and playoffs. For more information about Wizards District Gaming, visit www.wizardsdg.com.

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