Here at Daily eSports News, we have talked numerous times about how “real” sports and eSports are fundamentally the same, even tho eSports in general is struggling to find acceptance by the general public. See, it’s all too often shrugged off as a hobby or straight up demonized by people who at the end of the day are afraid of the changing landscape and don’t with to see their one-sided, closed-minded bubble burst. The main problem is that there’s never really been someone with real world experience with both actually stand up to defend eSports as a legitimate form of competition– until now! TheScoreEsports recently sat down with Pro NBA player, Gordon Hayward of the Utah Jazz for an interview on this very subject and he had A LOT to say! Here’s a small taste:
Q: As a topflight basketball player and an avid gamer, are there any skills that you take from the hardwood and apply to your League games?
GH: I think the biggest thing that applies to both basketball and League of Legends is communication. On both sides, it’s extremely important to talk to your teammates so you know where they’re at and they know where you’re at, and in League, you have to know where the other team is at as well. It’s the same type of thing in basketball — the best teams are the ones that communicate the best, and the very best teams are the ones that have played together so long that they don’t have to say anything. They just kind of know where their teammates are going to be. I think communication is huge for both League of Legends and basketball.
Very true. He goes more in depth into his love for competitive gaming, be it on a court or on a computer, in the rest of the interview that you can read here. We need more people in his position to stand up publicly and make this distinction for all the naysayers to see. Sure, they will probably just shake their heads and stamp their feet, but at least we are starting to bridge the gap between “real” sports and “fantasy” sports, and that’s a great start.
