Exclusive Interview with the 2K League’s No. 1 pick Dimez

This story originated from QQ.com (Tencent) on August 26, 2018

The home of the Mavericks’ e-sports team is not the American Airlines Center, home court of the Dallas Mavericks, but the Mavs Gaming Pavilion, a 10-minute drive away from the Center.

Although the Pavilion is not located in downtown Dallas, and its exterior looks just like an average bungalow, there is a completely different world inside. The several hundred square meters are divided into different areas: an e-sports arena, a TV studio, a specialized warm-up area and a locker room. The venue also has various professional e-sports equipment.

For e-sports enthusiasts, this is heaven.

As Dimez walked through the door, I found that he was far sturdier than I thought – almost 1.85 meters tall. His eloquence and humor began to show as he started talking.

If you bump into Dimez in the street, you might not think of him as the first No. 1 pick in NBA 2K League history or the first 2K player to ever shake hands with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on stage.

It’s been a summer in Dallas, but Dimez, who is from the northern state of Ohio, has not yet adapted to the scorching heat of the South. “The heat is killing me,” though air-conditioning in the game room was strong, Dimez still had a sweaty forehead. He pulled his neckline and took the microphone. Once Dimez sat down in front of the camera, his friendly smile came back again.

“I call myself Dimez. People call me the ‘LeBron of 2K’.”

“We’re both from Ohio”

“Dime” means a nice assist in basketball. Dimez’s real name is Artreyo Boyd. Boyd chose the nickname in 2K due to his love for passing and dropping dimes. Later, Dimez became the hottest name in 2K.

In the NBA 2K League Draft in April, the Dallas Mavericks’ e-sports team Mavs Gaming selected the Ohio native with the first pick. Dimez then became the big shot on the team.

Coming out of Ohio, Dimez is a die-hard fan of LeBron. “I love LeBron James.” Dimez was just like any other fan when he spoke of LeBron. He talked about his idol when staff were busy with the camera, “Undoubtedly, he is the G.O.A.T. I don’t see the Lakers as his best destination, of course I hope he could stay in Cleveland, but Houston may be a better choice. A lot people say it was because of his family or he’s getting older and nearing retirement. Whatever they say, it’s his decision, so I support my guy.”

For fans, the best thing is to be compared to their idols. Dimez did it, on a virtual basketball court.

Dimez was viewed by many as a top pick right after the NBA announced the establishment of the 2K League. Before the draft, he played eight games, entered the Finals six times and won four championships in a row in just one year. “Because of my achievements, people call me the LeBron of NBA 2K. We’re both from Ohio, we go hand in hand, so calling me that worked out perfectly well.”

“I’m more like Irving + Paul”

Though being called the LeBron of 2K, Dimez thinks another way.

“In terms of dribbling and scoring, I am more like Irving. In terms of passing and team leading, I’m more like Paul.” As the Chosen One in the 2K League, Dimez has great confidence stemming from his hard work and countless Ws in the games he played.

“The player I’m using can dribble and dance around with the ball, create his own shots. His specialties are mid-rangers and ankle-breakers that allow me to kill one-on-one defenders. If someone else helps, I can just throw an easy dime.”

He’s not bragging. These may not happen in real life, but give him a controller, he will dominate the world of 2K.

“I used to average more than 30 points, 13 or 14 assists and shot over 70% from the field.”

However, one of the best games Dimez ever played was in Pro-Am mode (6 minutes per quarter). He set a record for the most assists in 2K dropping 55 dimes.

Dimez was especially excited as he recalled that game. “We played the team before and beat them by a lot. So, coming into the next game, I was like I’m just gonna pass the ball and see how many dimes I can drop.”

As a result, Dimez led the team to a 136-55 blowout victory dishing out 55 assists without shooting a ball in 24 minutes. He only had 2 turnovers. He Got Game.

16 hours of practice every day

There are always people who think that e-sports do not require talents. According to them, everyone is ordinary and they can beat pro gamers if they play enough every day.

“LeBron James has a superhuman body, Curry is born with a good shot, Durant is tall with long arms and does not miss a shot…” Compared with competitive sports, you can’t easily tell a pro gamer from an ordinary person – they aren’t that different. But when it comes to the NBA, even the most average players are way different from ordinary people in terms of body shape.

Therefore, I asked Dimez, “NBA players are gifted and they spend a lot of time practicing. To become a top gamer like you, what is more important, gift or practice?”

“I’ve been playing 2K for ten years. I think it’s mostly because of my determination, my grind, my work ethic and my desire for the Ws.”

“Everything is mental, knowing how to rotate, when to rotate and when to pass the ball. Because everything’s in that split second, if you don’t make a decision right there, a right decision may become a turnover.”

“As a point guard, I’m always thinking six steps ahead.” Dimez got more excited as he told me about his game. He explained everything that may happen during a pick and roll.

“You need high basketball IQ and high 2K IQ at the same time.”

Dimez, as a point guard, has to get familiar with all kinds of plays. Though real-life basketball games share a lot in common with 2K, they are different in nature. Dimez needs to combine the two; he has already created many plays himself.

Dimez told me that he has been playing the game for 10 years since 2K9 to reach the level he is at today. As a pro gamer, he often practices for 16 hours per day.

“When 2K19 drops, you will never hear from me, I’m sitting up at least 72 hours straight.”

From a “web addict” to the No. 1 pick

As the Chinese saying goes, riding a hobby saps one’s will to make progress. Same thing in the U.S.

Unlike playing basketball and rugby, it is almost impossible for one to achieve success by playing games. When the industry was weak 10 years ago, it was especially unlikely for parents to support kids who spend a majority of time in games.

Like almost all parents, Dimez’s father opposed the idea at first. “You have to find something to do, you can’t just sit here and play games. Look for a job or just do something…” Dimez’s father tried to get into his head again and again, just like any other parent.

Dimez was just 14 ten years ago. Back then, he was still the Young Boyd, not Dimez the big shot today.

“I knew this was what I wanted. At first, I didn’t know exactly what I was going to do, what I can gain out of it, but I knew that I wanted it to be with 2K, with basketball.”

“My dad didn’t like it at all. We used to bump heads and argue over things like that. But I told him that, ‘Dad, I promise you something’s gonna come out of this, you just have to keep bearing with me, please…’”

The whole thing went on for 7 or 8 years until Dimez won a 2K tournament and went home with $250,000. His father realized that Dimez could really earn a living by playing games – not just earn a living, but earning big money. Dimez’s success made Old Boyd change his mind. “He became my No. 1 fan and supports everything with the 2K League.”

“I want to make a positive impact”

Being the best in what you do earns respect. You may even become an idol.

Dimez knows that an idol is exactly what he has become. The better he gets, the greater his responsibility will be. Even though his biggest strength is playing 2K, he knows that his success story and determination can help motivate those who look up to him.

“If someone wants to be the next Dimez, I will tell him to go hard and dedicate everything he has into the game. Play 24 hours a day, or even 72 hours, fall asleep in a chair, wake up and get back at it. It’s all about dedication.”

However, e-sports is different from other sports. For a person who loves basketball from an early age, even if he doesn’t become an NBA player, he can still have a healthier body playing the sport. However, when it comes to playing games, only a few may stand out at the end of the day. So, what’s so good about it? What if seeing a pro gamer as idol eventually turns children into web addicts?

“I want to help children realize their dreams, to let their fathers understand that their children may earn a living by playing games. Whatever I do, I want to make a positive impact in their life.”

As an idol, how to help others is something worth considering. LebBron James motivates young players with his amazing plays on court. With his wealth, he can also help to build schools for young ones off the court.

Dimez and Cuban’s e-sports team worked out their own way of helping children. They would play games with kids in hospitals, join Mavericks game programming camps to help kids develop interests in programming since all games are works of programmers.

“In the long run, I want to make a difference in other people’s lives. Like we talked about, I want to be that person who others can look to. Anything with kids, I love kids, if I can be somebody they look to, I can help them understand what their dreams are and go for it. I will make a father realize that his son can actually play the game and make a living out of it and go for his dreams. However, I can make a difference in that aspect, that’s what I want to do next.”