Athletes have intense and challenging schedules, with very little downtime.
That’s why it may sound strange that a lot of basketball players use every free moment to log into their online accounts and compete in all sorts of games against random strangers on the internet.
While many of them play sports simulations, others are prolific in genres that have nothing to do with basketball or any other sport.
Dig a little deeper, and you will realise that the same traits that allowed top ballers to become successful are drawing them towards online gaming.
It’s very interesting to look into the connection between professional sports and online gaming from this perspective, taking into account the typical lifestyle of a successful athlete.
Basketball Players Love to Compete
For a real basketball lifer, the competition never really stops, it just moves to another format. They stay in the same mindset no matter where they are and what they are doing.
In practice, they will try to outperform their own teammates and prove they deserve more playing time.
In games, they will try to lead their team to victory and showcase their skills to the spectators. In the privacy of their rooms, they will find someone, anyone to beat in any game just to keep the competitive juices flowing.
This is simply a continuation of a daylong obsession with reaching high standards in every domain, so it’s not a surprise that many players will sacrifice a wild night in the club to manage digital avatars.
Repetition Is Normal for Ballplayers
Online games take a lot of practice to fully master, but that’s not an issue for someone used to working out multiple times per day.
Training for basketball can be grueling and include a lot of repetitive action, so those who manage to get through it have no qualms about trying to beat a difficult level in an online game several times.
More importantly, sports training teaches how to draw lessons from every defeat and come back stronger – a skill that’s hugely valuable in gaming.
Putting in the hours is a nice start, resulting in quick advancement when combined with a readiness to correct mistakes.
Many athletes will tell you that you have to love the grind, not just go through the motions, and that encapsulates the approach that is necessary for prevailing in high-level contests, physical or digital.
Winning Tastes Sweet, No Matter The Stakes
Every basketball player wants to feel like a winner all the time, and many seek that feeling off the court as well.
There are tons of stories about legendary players like Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, or Charles Barkley who loved to go to casinos on their free days and let off steam by playing high-stakes games.
Today, players don’t have to venture out to Vegas to chase a big win, they can do that from the hotel by playing an online casino site when they visit Toronto or anywhere else on the planet.
Most of them don’t really care about the money, and just want a chance to get that elusive feeling of being on top of the world, even if only for a moment.
It’s the same motivation that drives them to get up every morning and head to the gym to work on nuances of their game in pursuit of championships.
Solving Tactical Challenges
Every game has the strategic and the tactical level, and in basketball the latter is completely in the hands of the players. Coaches can draw up anything on the board, but it’s the players who have to find a way to execute the play against elite defensive resistance.
The best players are crafty and resourceful, exploiting any gap they find and constantly countering any defensive efforts with spontaneous moves.
It’s not hard to see how this skill translates to online gaming, where players are often required to improvise and find their way out of unexpected predicaments.
The opposite is also true – gaming can help players play basketball more freely and creatively. Situational intelligence and out-of-the-box thinking can be improved with constant practice, and many basketball players hone these skills while battling online rivals in virtual environments.
Overcoming The Odds
To reach the highest levels of basketball competition, every player had to pass several cuts and consistently outplay countless others.
Only a handful of players ever reach the top, so every kid that embarks on this journey is trying to overcome very intimidating odds.
As a result, they learn to stay optimistic and work hard to get better, never giving up on their dream.
This becomes a habit, so many players start enjoying bold bets that come with huge returns.
However, they have to toe the line carefully as their contracts typically limit their ability to bet on sports so they could lose their careers if they run afoul of these conditions.
It’s much safer for them to stick to games like NBA 2K or League of Legends, where they can try to accomplish difficult feats without any risk they might compromise their standing with a real-world team or league.
