A Dedicated Student Turned Professional Gamer

Sports kept the New Jersey Native focused and the books keep Cowboy true to himself.

Before he made it to the NBA 2K League, CowboyxCollazo, also known as Christian Collazo, had his story begin in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

While Collazo shares that his home wasn’t the best neighborhood, he also noted that his parents did everything they could to give him the best life that they could.

“They didn’t have the best jobs and even had multiple jobs,” recalled the Kings Guard player. “It rubbed off on me that it takes hard work to get to the top.”

Cowboy also reflected on his athletic career and how he parlayed that into the virtual realm.

“I got into 2K because naturally I’m a basketball player. In high school I played varsity for 4 years,” said Cowboy. “Since I didn’t have the physical talent to pursue a pro career, I channeled that same competitive drive into virtual gaming and that’s why I got into 2K.”

Collazo also touched on his academic pursuits and the roots of his passion.

“I’m a chemistry major at the University of Florida” Collazo said. “I’m nerdy. I’m not a party guy – I just love to learn. On my own time I’m always researching something, watching things that are educational, it’s just who I am.”

When asked what attracted him to chemistry specifically, Christian shared “I always want to know how something is made up in a chemistry sense – like how the molecules are there.”

The Kings Guard fifth-round pick ended the season averaging 15 points per game and shared that he has re-enrolled in classes at Florida to continue his education in the offseason.

“I love 2K and studying chemistry equally but I felt like [the NBA 2K League] was an opportunity of a lifetime and I couldn’t pass on it.”

The sharpshooting scholar hopes to continue to play in the NBA 2K League for seasons to come and become a research chemist one day.