Washington, D.C. – Wizards District Gaming and Jostens unveiled the 2020 Wizards District Gaming NBA 2K League Championship Ring. Players, staff and team executives gathered to celebrate at a private ceremony and received their rings as a team.
To see photographs of the rings see here.
“I’m so proud of this elite group of esports athletes who fought adversity through a global pandemic and showcased their distinction during a season when esports consumption exploded – ultimately winning the championship in only our third season,” said Ted Leonsis, Founder & CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment. “We now add a ninth championship ring to Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s pursuit of athletic excellence for our fans, teams and greater community – we are truly the District of Champions.”
Wizards District Gaming was crowned 2020 NBA 2K League Champions after defeating Warriors Gaming Squad in Game 4 of a best-of-five game series by a score of 70-55. This was the first-ever championship win for Wizards District Gaming, one of the inaugural teams in the league when it launched in 2018. The franchise, owned by Monumental Sports & Entertainment, is the NBA 2K League affiliate of the Washington Wizards.
“The incredible partnership between Jostens and Monumental Sports & Entertainment is one we take great pride in and we are honored to add yet another ring to their line of champions,” said Chris Poitras, VP and COO of Jostens Professional Sports Division. “Wizards District Gaming have proven to be a tremendous team and rose to the challenges of the 2020 season. Their 2020 NBA 2K League Championship Ring celebrates the immense dedication and determination required to become champions.”
The 2020 NBA 2K League Championship Ring captures every step of this journey with a vivid celebration of the team, their fans, and the esports family. Crafted in 10-karat white gold with diamonds and genuine rubies, the ring honors the team with potent symbolism, powerful storytelling, and shimmering brilliance.
Adorning the center of the rounded-corner square ring top is the Wizards District Gaming logo set with custom-cut rich red rubies, amid a backdrop of diamonds. The jeweled logo is ringed by a row of rich red rubies and the spell out “NBA 2K League” is displayed at the top edge of the ring as the spell out “Champions” is displayed at the bottom edge of the ring. The sides of the square feature two vertical rows of diamonds. Encircling the entire ring top is a full row of diamonds. The logo – the letter “W” with three stars atop the vertical lines of the letter – represents the three games that were won in the finals and the three playoff series victories.
The player’s name is highlighted at the top of the left side (individual side) of the ring, set above the player’s jersey number and reliefs of the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and Capitol Building. There are also six stars within the relief, symbolizing the six-person member team.
The team’s motto for the season “Run The District” is highlighted at the top of the right side (championship team side) of the ring, set above the word “2020” in which the first zero is a replica of the NBA2K trophy and the remaining numbers are set in diamonds. Below the year of the championship win is the NBA 2K League logo.
The interior of the ring features the team logos of Wizard District Gaming’s 2020 playoff opponents and their respective series outcomes. On the left and right sides are the logos for Kings Guard Gaming (2-0 series final) and Raptors Uprising (2-0 series final), respectively. In the center – the championship win – is the logo for Warriors Gaming Squad (3-1 series final) is featured.
The rings feature 233 diamonds, 3 custom-cut star shaped rubies and 30 taper-cut rubies for a total carat weight of approximately 7.6 carats.
“At Monumental Sports & Entertainment, one of our principal goals is to compete for championships in every sport that we field a competitive team,” said Zach Leonsis, SVP Strategic Initiatives and General Manager of Monumental Sports Network. “When we launched Wizards District Gaming, we promised our players and the NBA 2K community that we were committed to building a championship-caliber team which is why it brings us such great joy to watch our players receive their beautiful championship rings that are worthy of their amazing achievement. These rings distinctively celebrate our players, our community, and our organization in winning fashion.”
Throughout the sixteen-game regular season, Wizards District Gaming showed an ability to remain calm under tremendous pressure, mount exciting comebacks and show versatility on both offense and defense to earn a 13-3 record. Wizards District Gaming consistently had one of the NBA 2K League’s best defenses throughout the season and a balanced scoring attack offensively. A second half come-from-behind victory against Jazz Gaming in Game 2 of the semifinals of The Turn Tournament was the turning point in the season and kickstarted the team’s momentum heading into the postseason, where they completed 2-0 series sweeps of Kings Guard Gaming in the NBA 2K League Playoff quarterfinals and the undefeated Raptors Uprising GC in the semis to advance to the NBA 2K League Finals. Veteran player Ryan “Dayfri” Conger was named NBA 2K League Finals MVP and was a finalist for regular season MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, and teammate Jack “JBM” Mascone was named NBA 2K League’s Rookie of the Year finalist.
On the 2020 Championship Team: Ryan “Dayfri” Conger, Maurice “ReeseDaGod” Delaney, Justin “Just_Awkward” Howell, Jack “JBM” Mascone, Antonio “Newdini” Newman, and Brandon “BRich” Richardson. The team was led by Team Manager Coach Patrick Crossan, SVP Strategic Initiatives & GM Monumental Sports Network Zach Leonsis, Director of Esports Andrew McNeill, and Manager of Esports Business Operations Jordan Zelniker.
About Monumental Sports & Entertainment’s Esports Practice
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) has expanded its ownership of franchises within the NBA and NHL leagues to include esports verticals in recent years. The expansion into the growth market of gaming was a natural evolution of MSE’s commitment to investing in innovative competition. By bringing together unique audiences and fostering a sense of community around sports, MSE remains committed to delivering excellence to fans in sports they already follow – and present those on the next frontier.
Wizards District Gaming 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 DG draft and/or retain six gamers as part of a team that competes as unique characters in 5-on-5 play against 22 other teams in a mix of regular-season games, tournaments and playoffs. For more information about Wizards District Gaming, visit www.wizardsdg.com.
In November 2019, Monumental Sports & Entertainment announced Caps Gaming – a new esports-focused sub-brand that aims to help foster the growth of the NHL competitive gaming community and create visibility for hockey’s esports scene. Caps Gaming has hosted a Caps Gaming Showcase – a 32-team, 6v6 EA Sports NHL competition on Xbox One. The team also announced it signed top NHL esports pro John “JohnWayne” Casagranda to join the organization as an official streamer, the first-ever such move in the industry.
In April 2021, Monumental Sports & Entertainment announced the launch of its Monumental Esports Twitch channel with founding partner, the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Washington, D.C. The new channel features 10 hours of specialty streaming each week with FIFA competitor and streamer, Nick “NikFlik” D’Addario.
About Jostens
In addition to crafting the Wizards District Gaming 2020 NBA 2K League Championship Rings, Jostens previously partnered with the 2018 Stanley Cup Champions the Washington Capitals, the 2018 Arena Football Champions the Washington Valor, the 2019 WNBA Champions the Washington Mystics, and the 2020 World Series Champions the Washington Nationals.
Jostens is a trusted partner in the academic and achievement channel, providing products, programs and services that help its customers celebrate moments that matter. The company’s products include yearbooks, publications, jewelry and consumer goods that serve the K-12 educational, college and professional sports segments. Founded in 1897 and based in Minneapolis, Minn., Jostens is a subsidiary of Platinum Equity and can be found online at www.jostens.com.
