The E Blacks have ended their final day at the eFIBA World Finals in Jönköping, Sweden on a thrilling note, downing Middle East champions Lebanon 95-68 to earn their first ever World Finals win – while also showcasing the talents of Flumeto as a rising young star in the 2K world.
Following a trio of tough losses in pool play on day one – falling to Brazil, France and eventual overall winners Team USA – New Zealand set their sights on picking up a win in the placement game on day two; a moral victory for the competition’s youngest team, who were making their first ever eFIBA World Finals appearance.
That win was achieved with relative ease, but it was the individual scoring brilliance of Flumeto that made the esports basketball world sit up and take notice of New Zealand; his 51-point performance making him the first player from any country to score 50+ points in the history of the competition.
The 17-year-old from Hamilton – the youngest player at these World Finals – was incredible, shooting 18-23 from the field including 12-15 from beyond the arc. He scored 28 points in the first half alone, with his buzzer-beating triple giving him 40 after three quarters.
Flumeto, whose real name is Jaxon Sutton, says that he is still reeling from both the E Blacks victory and his record-setting performance on the big stage.
“It feels amazing, having the opportunity to be the youngest person here and to come out the gate and score 50 points, it’s crazy – it’s great for me and the team,” says Sutton.
“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates, I’m very grateful for the opportunity. I’ve been getting a lot of support from the top-tier players here – who are the best in the world at what they do – which I’m really happy about. Getting my name out there and getting the E Blacks being talked about, it’s what I strive for and it’s awesome to be able to perform for my country and get the win.”
Sutton says that he wants the game to take him places, with his ultimate goal being to make the NBA 2K League – which is the esports equivalent to a Kiwi athlete making the NBA.
“I want to take this to the next level, I want to pursue this as far as I can and to one day make the [NBA 2K] League; it’d be awesome and a huge opportunity for me. I hope it will be possible and I know it starts with me coming to this event as a young player and making a name for myself.”
New Zealand also saw E Blacks captain oHorsii – real name Cameron Fox – rack up a triple-double against Lebanon with 15 points, 11 assists and 13 rebounds; the centre’s best game for the E Blacks to date.
Cameron says that the squad can be proud of its efforts against some extremely tough competition.
“Overall we’re really happy with how we performed against Lebanon, it’s huge for New Zealand to get our first win in the eFIBA World Finals and we’re ecstatic,” says Cameron.
“Obviously in pool play we wished we could’ve done more, we couldn’t get the wins but we we’re a very young team and this is a great learning experience for us. We’ll aim to be back in the future and build upon this campaign.”
Cameron says it has been a special feeling to be part of New Zealand’s inaugural esports basketball national team.
“It’s very special, being the first New Zealand team to make the eFIBA World Finals. Being here in person, against the best 2K gamers in the world, has been mind-blowing; I’m still gobsmacked that we made it. And now we know that we can compete with the best in the world and we belong here.”
“I think the future is very bright for our team, we have a lot of talent and we’ll work with Coach Chrome to keep building on that. Our main goal is to compete and improve and to become a force.”
With the win over Lebanon, the E Blacks have finished seventh overall and will return to New Zealand on Wednesday to a well-deserved rest before resuming their campaign in 2024.
