“NBA 2K” is about to be more realistic than ever. Kind of.
One of the biggest hurdles the NBA will face as it works toward the resumption of play is the lack of crowd noise during games. While fans in attendance is going to be a big no-no, the NBA is thinking of innovative ways to get “crowds” involved.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the NBA is looking into potentially using crowd noise from the “NBA 2K” video game series to fill the void of silence in arenas when the league returns to action later this summer.
As it stands, the “NBA 2K” series is one of the most accurate depictions of broadcasts when it comes to sports games, so the concept isn’t all that bad. Piping in crowd noise does go a long way in making games feel more natural, so it’s nice to see the NBA will at least consider that option.
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Across the globe, sports leagues are trying to figure out ways to make the fan-less experience interesting, and in many cases, humorous. The KBO currently has cardboard fans and cheerleaders, while All Elite Wrestling has wrestlers at ringside during their live events to cheer — or boo — matches in progress.
The NFL has also considered piping in crowd noise should its 2020 season get underway with no fans in attendance.
In any case, it’s good to see the NBA, arguably already the world’s most forward-thinking and innovative pro sports league, continue to figure it out when it comes to resuming play amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Let’s just hope the Association doesn’t turn to sex dolls.
