Follow the Leader: How Worthingcolt Stepped Up for his Squad

Before he was known as Worthingcolt, Worthington Colt the Third, Big Colt or anything in between – he was Jhade Black, a warehouse worker.

Black would spend his days in Houston, Texas working 12-plus hour shifts in a freezer and shuffling around boxes as a selector. The physical toll was setting in on Jhade as he was breaking his back to support himself – literally.

A back injury forced him to take a leave from work, but that leave lasted longer than he expected.

Shortly after getting hurt, Black found out that he had made the cut to play in the first ever 2K League season.

“It was a big load off of the body,” he said. “Going from lifting 80-100 pounds and now I’m just lifting a small controller.”

Season One was an unfamiliar but exciting experience. It was a brand-new league populated with players who would be playing 2K professionally for the first time.

Colt quickly found his footing as a rookie. He became one of the most vocal players on the team, and someone who never shied away from standing up and dishing out some trash talk. He transformed into one of the biggest personalities on the team, and turned in a strong season to boot.

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While his days of moving boxes were over, Black knew he had some heavy lifting ahead of him for Season Two.

During the offseason, the Kings Guard Gaming center became the sole player returning for his team following the inaugural year.

But rather than see this as a disadvantage, Colt seized the opportunity.

Sacramento brought in five new teammates for Worthingcolt ahead of the 2019 campaign. Two players (BallLikeSeem and Yusuf_Scarbz) had experience playing for different squads in the year prior. However, the remaining three (Bp, Roman, and Zakyy610) were newcomers to the League.

“My mindset was that I can’t try to teach these guys the game. They’ve been playing this game for years just like I have and they’re in the League for a reason,” said Colt.

“My part is to try and help them with the stuff that’s not the game – getting used to Sacramento, getting used to the cameras and interviews, or stepping outside of your comfort zone.”

Colt also talked about how adjusting to becoming a professional gamer is more than just what happens on the sticks.

“I think the main part about the 2K League is that you have to get used to the IRL part of this – the real life,” he said. “Stuff like the travel, communicating with your teammates and learning how to be a good team player.”

After doing what he could to help his teammates in the short amount of time between the draft and the start of the season, it was time to get to work.

Kings Guard was able to shake off a rocky start to 2019 following an early exit from THE TIPOFF Tournament. The squad would rip off six straight regular season wins from Week 2 to Week 6 and earn a playoff berth for the first time.

During the regular season, Big Colt was a big part of the team’s success as he averaged 11.6 points and 11.8 rebounds, the latter of which would rank him as fourth-best in the entire league.

“It was a great feeling just to see how far we’ve come in one year,” said Colt.

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In the first round of the postseason, KGG would be defeated by the eventual 2K League Champions, T-Wolves Gaming. However, the tough loss didn’t stop Colt from reflecting positively on what turned out to be a thrilling season.

“The excitement and the energy that the team had brought us together,” said Sacramento’s center. “Compared to anything else, it was just one of the best feelings I’ve ever had.”

During the offseason, Jhade wants to keep improving. Aside from starting his grind on the soon-to-be-released NBA 2K20, the Kings Guard big man wants to build his brand between seasons – aiming to do more live-streaming as well as growing his following on YouTube.

Colt also mentioned “wanting to get back in the gym more and be active.”

“I think the best part of the League is that it helped me financially, so I can expand and do a little more of what I want to in my free time,” he said.

Worthingcolt’s days of lifting boxes may be behind him, but he strives to continue lifting up his teammates heading into his third season.