Jordan Bell is a firm believer in the ol’ hand-eye coordination defense of the value of video games.
In a feature by Anthony Slater of the San Jose Mercury News that ran over the weekend, the Golden State Warriors rookie said that playing Guitar Hero helped him with his timing on blocked shots.
“You ever played?” said Bell. “You got to like try to get it exactly. I hate video games, but that’s the one video game I played every single day. Strumming, hit the button at the same exact time, catch it on the screen. Shot-blocking, to me, is all about timing. I know tall people who can’t block a shot to save their life. That right there really helped to get my timing.”
The 22-year-old Bell, who was selected No. 38 overall in this year’s draft by the Chicago Bulls and promptly traded to the Warriors, amassed 233 blocked shots in his three years at Oregon, which averaged out to 2.2 per game. That’s quite impressive for a player who only stands 6-foot-8. Bell was also named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year for 2017.
While Guitar Hero may have peaked in popularity years ago, it still apparently is finding a way to make an impact on the sports world, and this time a much more positive one than that which it had on ex-Tigers pitcher Joel Zumaya.
