There are everyday people who enjoy playing video games, and among them are professional athletes. Others get invested in the storylines and different game modes.
Some people will use video games to simulate the NBA playoffs odds in order to choose winners.
For all people, there are great games that help them use transferable skills for what they do in everyday life, whether that is school, a job, friendships, or other reasons. And there is no reason that NBA athletes can not experience those same benefits when they are playing video games.
The eSports world has grown in such a way that technology allows people to be connected while playing. It is an incredible development for society and has been a great benefit.
Here are a variety of ways that NBA athletes can benefit from playing video games.
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Making Decisions
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While many fans are frustrated with the one on one nature of the National Basketball Association, it tightens up in the playoffs. Both the defense and teams are running more sets to get players free like a college coach would.
Being able to make decisions on the fly is something that everyone needs, especially basketball players, as the games are close late, and they are thrust into making quick decisions. After all, they only get 24 seconds on offense each possession, so there is not a lot of time to think through things.
The different objectives of video games allow gamers to make decisions on the fly. There are timed game modes that cause rotations in a battle royale gun game, or trying to stop an objective with two different paths or trying to decide which defense to run to slow down an opponent.
Those read-and-react decisions are transferable skills for the players. That also adds the element of developing good hand-eye coordination. Being able to practice the skills needed to make those snap decisions and execute them is an important part of sports, and doing that in a video game is a big bonus.
Communication Skills
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There are a lot of different ways that people use communication. But there is no better practice at communicating and teamwork than a video game. Being able to have a team that is focused on the same objective is something that is important to build upon.
Playing with strangers is one of the best ways to improve this. Finding people with different backgrounds and different traits is a great way to adjust when those players then go into their locker rooms and have new teammates who may react similarly to someone else they’ve met.
Being a great communicator and a leader is something that helps in the grand scheme of life. There are tough conversations to have off the court, then there are the necessary ways of communicating on it. It is all to obtain the same objective of winning.
It is the same way that people communicate while playing video games. It is also good for athletes to explore streaming and putting themselves out in public.
Building Their Brands
Being able to communicate with fans, and even haters, is a great way for athletes to showcase who they really are. Sports are so aggressive, and people often do nasty things toward athletes who make mistakes, whether missing a big shot or a bad turnover late in the game.
Athletes opening themselves up to a community of strangers and being able to communicate with them builds respect and helps build their brand. If that athlete has a clothing line or a separate business that they can also advertise for or sell, it is another way for them to benefit from streaming.
There are often ways that athletes can use streaming to launch a platform. Being able to generate social media hype before launching a product or a big event is a great way for athletes to be connected to their fans.
Storytime
Source: outsports.com
Particularly in the NBA 2K series, there are so many ways that NBA players can interact with fans. Building up a player and going to the park or joining games with strangers is another great way to develop a brand.
