As I write my final blog, I reflect on how it’s been a memorable semester with you all. Although we’re going through unprecedented times, and things didn’t end the way we envisioned I still enjoyed being a part of DMS 448. Learning from each and every one of you was a valuable experience. As we continue to put the finishing touches into our creative game projects, I’ve took some brief time to reflect on the journey of my project. Indulging in livestreams for my project about NBA 2k20’s Mycareer mode made me feel like I was commentating my own NBA career. The Mycareer mode is a personalized detailed narrative tied to every user’s player who pursues a career in the NBA. As a draft pick to the Boston Celtics I experienced the journey from the business, marketing, and playing perspective of an NBA athlete. I commentated on the relationship between my character and his agent as they convey the pressures of off-court endorsements that came with financial responsibility. This financial responsibility made me realize the pressures that NBA players have to deal with due to decisive off-court decisions worth millions and billions of dollars.

            According to Emma Witkowski and James Manning “In 2011, the National Basketball League (NBA) entered a lockout. Over 149 days, league representatives, owners and the player union negotiated new terms for the collective bargaining agreement, during which time players filed antitrust lawsuits and took their personal brands and expert play to other international leagues. Beyond collective organization, many (but not all) players showed they were able to buffer the short-term pay loss, and NBA stars (mostly mature players with widespread sporting capital) stepped in to represent their profession. Jointly, the players exposed what forms of player provision were in place within a 70-year-old media sports industry not necessarily designed for their collective care or welfare (Staudohar, 2012). The lockout revealed that playing power and player rights, beyond fair revenue distribution, were buoyed by well-established sociotechnical infrastructures; from international athletic visas, recent histories of other sports player union practices, to player distributed professional sports knowledge networks” (Manning & Witkowski). With that being said, it’s quite evident the colossal impact that NBA players possess in games. Because they’re the catalyst of NBA game products it’s essential to recognize and acknowledge the leverage that players have in potential revenue deals. I remember anticipating the end of the lockout in 2011 due to the lack of top tier basketball available. With that being the case, many people all across the basketball world didn’t know if there would even be a 2k video game available. Amidst all the uncertainty that came with the game 2ksports still managed to be creative and released NBA 2k12 with a narrative that revolved around old school all-time NBA players. Overall, it’s essential to acknowledge that without NBA players there can never be an NBA game.

Works Cited:

1. Witkowski, E., & Manning, J. (2019). Player power: Networked careers in esports and high-performance game livestreaming practices. Convergence, 25(5–6), 953–969.