SWANN in leadership role as Hawks Talon GC seeks to turnaround NBA 2K League season

When Mike Swanegan (SWANN) was selected by Hawks Talon GC in the third round of the 2021 NBA 2K League draft in March, he may have expected the hardship of being away from his family for the season.

The 29-year-old might have prepared himself for the isolated life of an NBA 2K League player under COVID-19 restriction. He may have even expected his team, a squad that missed the playoffs in 2020, to have some rocky stretches throughout the year.

That said, the last-picked, thrice-undrafted rookie had no expectation to be thrown into a leadership role within his first few months with his team. 

So, of course, that’s exactly what happened.

Two weeks into the regular season, Hawks Talon GC, the official NBA 2K League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks, was riding high on a five-game win streak. The team was firing on all cylinders offensively, exhibiting the type of team chemistry prone to winning basketball games. 

Now, seven weeks into the season, that same Hawks Talon team sits at 5-13, currently on a 10-game skid. Swanegan, who has started all 18 regular season games, believes the team’s woes stem from a lack of communication and connection, due in part to COVID-19 restrictions forbidding him and his teammates from being together away from the console. 

“I think COVID definitely plays a huge part in my experience in the 2K league right now. Unless we’re watching film or practicing, we don’t really get to spend much time together face to face, so it’s kind of tough. I do feel like it plays a role on team chemistry,” Swanegan said on the NBA 2K League’s newest episode of Locked In Powered by AT&T. “What’s going to separate teams throughout this pandemic… however long we’re going to be playing remotely for are going to be the teams that go the extra mile and really try to get to know each other as individuals.”

Due to these restrictions, Swanegan has also faced his fair share of personal adversity. The small forward has not been allowed to see his family and will not see them until the end of the 2021 season. That includes separation from his one-year-old daughter, Leilani, who he refers to as his hero.

“My daughter is definitely someone who has constantly, without her even trying to, just reassures me a lot,” he said. “She is why I hustle and why I work so hard. … Constantly talking to her throughout the day just reminds me why I do what I do.”

As Hawks Talon has continued to fall further over the last six weeks, Swanegan has seen morale in his teammates continue to plummet. Being the oldest player on the team, he has stepped into a role of emotional leadership and optimism against the negativity and lack of confidence common to a young, struggling team.

“Age plays a big factor in regards to what I’ve been through in life. … I know what it’s like to lose and right now, we’re losing. We started off our year strong, but I think some of my teammates are trying to battle some things in regards to trying to find their motivation. Me personally, I’m always positive. I’m never negative and after some losses, some guys, you can tell they’re not confident in themselves on in this team,” he said. “I’m just more of the big brother to everybody, but also that father figure, I guess you could say, because everybody does call me “Father Time” because I’m the oldest guy on the team. I just like to be that positive light to the team.”

“SWANN is very much so a vocal leader,” said Hawks Talon head coach Wesley Acuff. “You can just see the hunger in his daily activities. He’s been a pleasure to have in our locker room constantly bringing good vibes and trying to get us back on track, so I think we’re headed in the right direction.” 

Despite the obvious strength of his leadership skills, maturity and wisdom have not always been Swanegan’s companions. In fact, the rookie believes his lack of such attributes in his past motivates him to lead his team more than anything. 

“Once upon a time, I had a huge ego when I was in sports. I kind of had that jock mindset that nobody can touch me,” he said. “I see younger guys and I see a lot of me in them at one point and I just kind of want to step in and stop it before it gets too late. I know they love to do what they do… I just don’t want them to make the same mistakes I did, that’s all.” 

Before he pursued a career on the virtual court, Swanegan was a phenomenal high school basketball player. Focused on partying, his social life and his success on the court, he paid little attention to academics, preventing him from gaining a scholarship to a D-I or D-II university.

“I kind of always had an edge on people because my dad was a coach. I was always ahead of guys talent-wise. I was the tallest guy on every team I played for,” he said. “So, I was always better than people and I just kind of held that against me throughout all of high school. … I just kind of didn’t take care of things in school the way I should have. I let that ego get to me in high school to be honest.”

Instead, Swanegan went to play for his father at Pasadena City College, where his pride was humbled. After two years, the shooting guard earned and accepted a scholarship to finish his college studies playing at William Penn University. 

“Everything just kind of rushed into my head like, ‘Okay, I made it. I got a scholarship and I’m about to go through a whole new chapter by myself. I’m not going to be able to come home to my family anymore, I’m going to come home to myself. They’re relying on me… I don’t want to let them down,’” he said. “I turned into a family man, turning into ‘I miss home.’ I wanted to go back to California and show my family that I could get this done on my own. … From the years from when I was 20 to when I was 25 years old was all humbling for me.” 

With those mistakes under his belt, Swanegan now uses his knowledge gained through his experiences to ensure his younger teammates don’t fall into similar patterns.

“I know what it’s like to be away from your family in a dorm room, having fun. I’ve lived that lifestyle,” he said. “Me being older, I can kind of see what it could bring. I can see how it could alter your focus and things of that nature. I just don’t want us to take things for granted and I feel like that’s one of our biggest problems right now is some guys are taking some things for granted and not really grasping in on our goal and locking in.”

As Hawks Talon tries to find its way back to its early winning form, the rookie-turned veteran will look to guide his team’s morale to a remarkable turnaround in the second half of the season.