There’s a whole lot that goes into a journey through a pandemic. After the halting of normal life, then comes what gets filled into the void. There’s no dates with the lady, nights at the bar, lunch with the fellas, live shows at the club, or hitting up the cinema.
No, there’s only the slow, steady routine of making sure you survive in whatever way you can. And part of my slow, steady routine involved one very important thing: NBA2K.
A steady dose of video game hoops kept my mind active at the times I really just wanted to shut if off, either with booze or television. I can honestly tell you my mind felt productively engaged when in the throws of an 82 game season hoping to make the playoffs with my 40 year old thumbs.
It’s been about 18 years since I played video games of any kind, aside from Beercade outings, which were very much unserious. 15 years since Goldeneye or FIFA or Tony Hawk. And even longer since NBA Jam or Crazy Taxi or anything from EA.
So I was rusty. It took me a bit to understand how video games even worked in the year 2020. And it took some “practice games” before I was able to not get my ass handed to me by the computer on anything that wasn’t the easiest setting. But I eventually got there. It all came back. Like riding a bike you say? Yeah, like riding a bike.
And I loved it.
I love NBA2K.
Why do I love it so much? Because it’s all new again. I look forward to it. It’s exciting. It’s challenging. It’s putting me through the paces and at the end of the day none of it matters at all. Which is so very important. There’s no social media likes or comments of any kind. It’s just me and the computer, 6 minute quarters, the roar of the crowd, and what I can only assume is the best sports game there is.
After the sun sets, work and home obligations are done for the time being, the house is quiet, and I have a sliver of time to do with what I will, I NBA2K with the best of ’em. On the second setting, NBA Finals champion and all.
And that, my friends, is how I got through 2020.
