Chelsea 'keeper Courtois downs Rob Holding on 2k18

Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was too hot to handle as he won the NBA 2K18 Celebrity Gaming Tournament Final.

Courtois had beaten Crystal Palace stars Mamadou Sakho and Timothy Fosu-Mensah on the way to the final where he faced off with Arsenal defender Rob Holding.

Holding himself had seen off Arsenal teammate Nacho Monreal and England rugby star Owen Farrell to reach the final.

The Chelsea goalkeeper elected to play as the Golden State Warriors, with the Arsenal defender selecting the Cleveland Cavaliers, in a rematch of the last three years of NBA Finals. As in the previous rounds, NBA legend Gary Payton oversaw the contest.

After an incredibly hard-fought match, it was Courtois who was crowned the Champion of the NBA 2K18 Celebrity Gaming Tournament, as his Golden State Warriors team sealed a 39-22 victory over Rob Holding’s Cavaliers, with the Belgian awarded a special NBA2K18 Championship ring to commemorate his victory.

Following his win, Courtois compared the atmosphere of the NBA to the Premier League: “In NBA games from every possession something amazing can happen, whereas in football sometimes you can go for 5 or 10 minutes without a big chance or an important action. In the NBA, something is always happening, especially in Playoff games, they are very vibrant.”

The Chelsea goalkeeper then went on discussing his friendship with Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid: “Joel is a big football fan and we have a couple of mutual friends. When I had the opportunity and some days off I went to see a few NBA games in the States and it was great to meet him in Philadelphia. We usually text each other, like all friends do. I think he’s really hungry to prove himself this year and it will be great that I will have the opportunity to see him again in London for the London Game 2018 at The O2.” (on January 11, 2018).

Talking about his passion for the NBA, Courtois then talked about how he keeps up to date with all the latest happenings across the pond: “I try to watch as many games as I can. I usually go to bed quite late at night, so if the games are not too late, especially the ones in the East Coast, then I try to watch them. Whenever we have a day off after a game though, I always watch a game on TV.”

Thibaut Courtois was speaking at the NBA 2K18 Celebrity Gaming Tournament. To find out more follow @NBAUK on Twitter and Facebook.

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