I’m still working on a larger post on this topic, but this was too rich to pass up. If you’re an NBA fan, you know who Gilbert Arenas is. If you’re not a fan, he can be described as a guy who’s seen as a little eccentric (maybe old-fashioned) and is pretty grounded, considering his talent and fame. But honestly, most people will say he’s just weird. Anyway, there’s an article in Esquire that plumbs the depth of his mind and is quite an intriguing read.
Why am I bringing this up on Buttonmashing? Because there’s a Gilbert Arenas has an video game playing style that most of us are familiar with. Gilbert has a huge library of DVD and video games. In fact, he says he wants them all. He plays Halo. So he’s a gamer. And of course he plays NBA 2K6. To the point – he’s good at NBA 2K6:
… he will take on all comers at Xbox. He won’t just beat you. He will beat you by as many points as you want. Just name the amount. He treats it like a golf handicap. For this game, he’s giving away two hundred points to his friend John …
There’s a minute and a half left, and Real Gilbert is up by 191. Then Game Gilbert gets a steal and throws a long pass—only to have LeBron pick it off. “Sorry, Gilbert,” says Gilbert. “You can’t stop the King.” As the game ticks down, the Cavs and Gilbert—Real Gilbert—are up by 201. John has the ball and is running the clock down for the final shot. At the last second, Antawn Jamison flips in a layup that makes it 331–132. John screams, circling the room, knocking magazines here and there. The man just got beat by 199 points and is ecstatic. Gilbert shakes his head.
That is just rich. I love the delicious irony that the real Gilbert is playing as LeBron James, the player that had him so spooked in the playoffs last seaso that he missed two CRUCIAL free throws at the end of the game. Gilbert Arenas doesn’t miss many free throws. But now, he’s playing as LeBron and referring to him as the King. I love it.
So, to recap: Gilbert Arenas can KICK YOUR TRASH at NBA 2K6 and he’s not afraid to prove it.