And the list of things NBA players do to keep themselves busy during the lockout continues to grow weirder. If I told you that an NBA player was joining a video game league during the lockout, you might find that a bit strange. When I then informed you that the player is Gordon Hayward, it would probably make more sense.
One guy will be doing movies. Another guy will be joining a fraternity. A third guy has been playing beach volleyball. But Gordo? He’ll be gaming in a StarCraft II tournament in Atlantic City from Oct. 6-9. The league, which is sponsored by IGN Entertainment, offers a $100,000 purse that 256 players will compete for a share of.
“I’ve been playing video games for as long as I can remember,” Hayward said according to the Deseret News. “I’m a competitive guy, and I love the competitive nature of video games. Pro-gamers are really sports stars themselves. The mental strategy that goes into planning your next move and what your opponent is going to do are skills you need to be successful playing basketball — and playing StarCraft II. If you want to be good, you have to put a lot of time and effort into it, just like with other sports. I’ve got the best of both worlds.”
Something tells me about 98% of the NBA would disagree that pro gamers are sports stars, but if it helps Hayward justify his obsession then who are we to intervene? If nothing else, Gordo gets to take a break from teammates yelling at him while he tries to conquer his StarCraft opponents.
