Inauguration of Hoops: How NBA2K Sparked My Love for Basketball

Contact.

That word has defined my physicality and sporting endeavors since I was 4. Texan blood, what I’m built of. I crave the amazing finesse and addictive brutality of contact sports. Granted, I’ve never transitioned into MMA but that’s another story for another time.

Thing is, I never cared much for basketball. Whether that is a reflection of what my desires where as a youth or the fact, in the world of basketball, I’m vertically challenged. It never stuck with me. That’s not to say I never tried it. One little league season and a few adult leagues over the course of 12 years of my life couldn’t seal the deal. I was probably too much of a meathead to appreciate it or not foul out of a game. Yeah, it was great watching the Mavericks win a world championship but that wasn’t “my team” in a city dedicated to football first. So I was always a vicarious viewer, that is, until November 2013.

Let’s quickly get past the fact that the game, NBA2k14, has its myriad of problems. I’m not here to gripe about that, although waiting nearly 17 minutes just to see “17 Years in the Making” can be soul crushing. I want to talk about how a sports game, a sports “video” game has led to a new-found obsession.

I have owned a handful of NBA games over the course of my gaming life, ranging for NBA LIVE, NBA Showdown, the loveable NBA JAM and the guilty pleasure of NBA Ballers. They all came and went like any other “single player” game, as that is how I viewed an NBA game to date. Play a season as a team, maybe play against a friend and move on. I couldn’t tell you what changed from 2013 to 2014 editions of NBA2k14, other than the wonderful removal of Jay-Z music (I devour Hip-Hop but I can’t get into his music), but something caught my full attention this go around. I can assume that the PS4, the glory of a new console and all its features, played a role in my growing obsession with NBA2k14 but I don’t want to levy it all on a single device.

It was the challenge of being the best. Yeah, that’s the “drive” for every sports game, especially those that allow you to play through the career of a singular player but this time was different. There wasn’t any amazing-never-seen-before feature and the story mode isn’t exactly breath-taking. I don’t even want to mention the fact the player only has one voice and 2K tried so hard to give your player “sweg” (good job 2K). I even got past the fact I got stuck on the Jazz, thankfully traded to the Rockets. What hooked me was the first time I recorded 10 assists and at least a double-digit point total. No, I didn’t get a trophy for career achievement; it was pure satisfaction that I was able to orchestrate an offense at a high level for a sport I only knew the basics in. That may seem stupid or overly simple to most but it was a moment in my sports life where everything clicked and I figured out how to play a position in a sport I would never excel at. We won’t mention I did this against the Bucks. Their failings are not important in my revelation as a basketball genius. /sarcasm

Ok, I know this sounds a bit silly when you think about it. Good for you bro, you can play a basketball game. Thing is, it transcends far beyond that. I started reading articles on sporting websites about basketball. I dove into longform breakdowns of players and a shortened history of the game. I mean I’m not going to learn everything there is over night but I craved the knowledge, I needed to know more on why everyone on the Knicks can’t help Carmelo and why the Pacers are built for the future of the NBA. My wife even noticed when I started to ramble on about Kevin Durant’s amazing January one night over dinner, breaking down his incredible percentages and inability for defenders to phase him “in the clutch”. The fact that my wife knew what “clutch” meant means she too has come a long way as a sports fan.

2 months ago my mind was fixated on football and only football, now a new sport was stealing some time away from that which I grew up dreaming about.

Currently, NBA2k14 is practically the only game I play frequently on my PS4. Sure I love Killzone and I dive into COD/BF from time to time but every second of free time I can squeeze from being a dad, husband and whatever other duties I have, I spend it on 2K14. Especially on “The Park”. I haven’t fully figured out how to navigate the 5v5’s, which resemble a 6 year old soccer game or how it seems like everyone can shoot the three from half court, falling backwards, but it does its best impersonation of the pick-up games I got sucked into while stationed in Norfolk and outside Chicago. Shooting at range has never been my thing, so I stick to passing and defending because my gorilla hands hamper my obvious ability to become a world-class dribbler. Sure waiting for the 3v3 3-point contest to end can be tiresome but the anticipation to learn more about the game and the somewhat overlooked chess-match one must compete in due to player match-ups. I’m learning, slowly, to love it all.

I’m growing to love basketball, specifically the NBA, at an astoundingly quick level and it all began with NBA2k14. It is ironic that the new NBA commissioner wants to rival football in terms of worldwide popularity and I suddenly got into the game. It’s not going to steal all the thunder from my lifelong love of football but it’s a nice start. I still haven’t directly figured out if playing MyCareer ignited this or I had always wanted a reason to enjoy basketball but it’s here and I couldn’t be happier.