‘Sky’s the Limit’: All Hail Trey is back to take care of unfinished business

TORONTO, Canada—Alongside his closest friends on a team that’s oozing with chemistry, Trevion “All Hail Trey” Hendrix is back in the 6ix with one thing on his mind: taking care of unfinished business.

Originally chosen in the fourth round (58th overall) of the inaugural 2018 Draft by Raptors Uprising GC, All Hail Trey found immediate success with Toronto in Season 1, averaging 14.4 points while making a name for himself as one of the premiere two-way sharpshooters in the NBA 2K League.

His 65 three-pointers made at the time were a franchise record, and after helping Raptors Uprising earn its first-ever playoff berth, the Arkansas native was one of two players—alongside Kenny Got Work—retained heading into Season 2. Following successful stints as a shooting guard and small forward, he’d establish himself as the team’s go-to power forward in 2019, building on what was a strong rookie campaign.

Then came one of the more heart-wrenching moments in franchise history.

In order to acquire eventual 2020 All-NBA 2K League First-Team centre Sick One from Cleveland, All Hail Trey would be dealt midway through Season 2 in a one-for-one deal completed on May 13, 2019, a move which Raptors Uprising General Manager Shane Talbot described as one of the toughest decisions of his career.

“Trey is an elite Power Forward and was critical to our Season 1 success,” explained Talbot. “When we traded him in Season 2, it was to fill a need we had at centre…”

On an iconic episode of Raptors Uprising’s North Code, a behind-the-scenes docuseries giving supporters an inside look on the life of an NBA 2K League professional, fans were able to witness just how difficult of a decision it was to move one of the cornerstones of the franchise.

The trade left some of his teammates visibly emotional as they formed a brotherhood that was almost impossible to replicate. But as Talbot informed All Hail Trey at the time: if there was ever an opportunity that the team could bring him back, they would do it.

Yet, after the team went 16-0 and won two tournament banners last season, having reached heights never seen before in the NBA 2K League, the idea of reuniting with his Raptors Uprising teammates felt farfetched. It never seriously crossed All Hail Trey’s mind, even though he had still been tuning into every Raptors Uprising game to cheer on his guys.

But this past offseason, much to his surprise, the stars aligned and Toronto sent a 2021 first-round pick to Cavs Legion in exchange for their former sharpshooter.

“Once I saw that they traded a first round pick for me, I was like ‘Okay, they really believe in me; it’s time to go to work when I get there,’” added All Hail Trey. “I’d say my mom is probably my biggest supporter. She’s in tune with this league just like everybody else, so she was really excited to see me back where it all started.”

Before going out for dinner with the family to celebrate, All Hail Trey received a phone call. It was Talbot, who reached out to his former player not only to pass along the good news, but also to share a message:

“He told me it’s all business—unfinished business at least,” recalled All Hail Trey. “He knows bringing me here, I have that experience in the playoffs and in tough moments…. He just told me to come in, be ready, play your part, play your role, and ‘be hungry Trey.’”

From Raptors Uprising’s perspective, this team is structured in a way that will help yield the best version of All Hail Trey in 2021

“With specialists at every other position and an opportunity to bring Trey back, the planets aligned for his return, and we couldn’t be more excited to reunite him with Kenny and our new-look lineup,” explained Talbot.

Motivated and re-energized, as Talbot mentions, All Hail Trey is returning to a different looking Raptors Uprising team, but at the same time, it’s a squad that he’s all too familiar with.

Part of the iconic ‘Still Trill’ Pro-Am team, he’ll join forces with the likes of Kenny Got Work, Timelycook, and ReeceMode—a group of guys he’s been playing NBA 2K with for over six years. In fact, he’s played with the reigning MVP Kenny Got Work ever since he was introduced to the NBA 2K competitive scene.

Early on, some of his teammates have described the chemistry and vibes at the Bell Fibe House as being off the charts. It’s that unspoken bond that the NBA 2K League veteran, who is one of a select group of players to have been a part of the league all four seasons, believes will be a difference maker in 2021.

“Playing with those guys again … it’s just picking up where we left off to me,” said All Hail Trey. “It really re-energizes me because I know what I’m going to get from all six guys here. It’s just so sharp here, everything is just so on point, we know where we’re going to be at—this position, that position—so it just helps everybody.”

While it was a great learning opportunity and one that he will draw experience from moving forward in this league, the Raptors Uprising power forward admits his time away from Toronto has made him appreciate the rare chance in front of him.

“Most definitely, it was definitely humbling to me,” said All Hail Trey. “That was my first actual losing season; we didn’t have a good year. I mean, the scenery was different: I think Toronto is top-2 to me in terms of cities … and I’m really grateful for the opportunity Raptors Uprising have given me here.”

In 39 regular-season games with Cleveland in 2020, the high-volume scorer would average just 7.2 points—down significantly from the 14.8 points he averaged during the 2018 NBA 2K League regular season with Raptors Uprising. However, despite Cleveland’s struggles, the veteran sharpshooter was still one of the lone consistent bright spots on his 4-12 team, connecting on 50.2 per cent of his shots from the field and 46.3 per cent from three.

Kenny Got Work still believes that All Hail Trey is one of the best scorers in the league when he has the right guys around him.

By getting back to his old habits off the court that he established in his first year-and-a-half in the league, including analyzing film to see what he can pick off from other players and where he can improve himself, All Hail Trey is hoping he’ll be able to do his part to help Toronto get over the hump and emerge as NBA 2K League Champions in 2021.

“I’m going to be vocal on the defensive side because that’s the side they really need to be vocal on,” said All Hail Trey. “Type, Cook, and I are the anchors on defence, so as long as we do our job, the sky’s the limit for us, honestly.”

The start of the 2021 NBA 2K League campaign is right around the corner with the full Season 4 schedule expected to be announced in the coming weeks. Keep it locked to @RaptorsGC on Twitter for updates on the 2021 season.