3-time NBA champion says pro gamers are professional digital athletes,on The View

[Deadpool1986]

Rick Fox was a 3-time champion in the NBA (National Basketball Association), and he recently appeared on the TV show The View to discuss professional gaming.

Fox began talking about his 19-year-old son who he repeatedly tried to get outdoors and create some balance in his life outside of video games.

He noted that couldn't pull his son away from the passion he had for gaming, and was educated on why it was a valid career path in this day and age — at least for some.

Fox's statements were often interrupted by the show's hosts, but while defending his stance he noted he felt pro gaming was a legitimate thing, and something he compared to his own career in the NBA, where the highest paid athlete in the league made over $30,000,000 from his basketball contract this last season.

"[Pro gamers] are digital athletes, professional digital athletes," said Fox.



"I think about what it took for me to become a professional athlete [in the NBA]," said Fox. "It took a lot of concentration, a lot of dedication, practice, preparation, stamina.

"The more I watched my son pursue this career, the more I watched him introduce me to the world as it is, which is professional gaming, they're sponsored, they have careers, they make hundreds of thousands of dollars," said Fox.

These statements were met with a healthy amount of skepticism by the show's hosts, and Fox did stress that not every kid who picks up a video game is a professional, but there are certain small percentage of people who have chosen that career path, and he thinks it's a legitimate one.



Fox also backs up his argument by citing that the U.S. government acknowledges League of Legends as a sport. You can check out the entire segment below, which is about 4 minutes long.

too Rick Fox, to bad they wouldn't let him speak. It's nice that someone of his stature and profession said something like this. Not that Gaming needs validation to be a sport by someone who does "real sports", but it's nice any ways. Oh and fukk Sherri Shepherd!!!
http://www.eventhubs.com/news/2014/...tal-athletes-defends-his-stance-tv-show-view/

 

[Amestafuu (Emeritus)]

Nikka went on the view to talk video games with those birds what u expect from them lol.

 

[PS5 Pro]

Rick Fox was a 3-time champion in the NBA (National Basketball Association), and he recently appeared on the TV show The View to discuss professional gaming.

Fox began talking about his 19-year-old son who he repeatedly tried to get outdoors and create some balance in his life outside of video games.

He noted that couldn't pull his son away from the passion he had for gaming, and was educated on why it was a valid career path in this day and age — at least for some.

Fox's statements were often interrupted by the show's hosts, but while defending his stance he noted he felt pro gaming was a legitimate thing, and something he compared to his own career in the NBA, where the highest paid athlete in the league made over $30,000,000 from his basketball contract this last season.

"[Pro gamers] are digital athletes, professional digital athletes," said Fox.



"I think about what it took for me to become a professional athlete [in the NBA]," said Fox. "It took a lot of concentration, a lot of dedication, practice, preparation, stamina.

"The more I watched my son pursue this career, the more I watched him introduce me to the world as it is, which is professional gaming, they're sponsored, they have careers, they make hundreds of thousands of dollars," said Fox.

These statements were met with a healthy amount of skepticism by the show's hosts, and Fox did stress that not every kid who picks up a video game is a professional, but there are certain small percentage of people who have chosen that career path, and he thinks it's a legitimate one.



Fox also backs up his argument by citing that the U.S. government acknowledges League of Legends as a sport. You can check out the entire segment below, which is about 4 minutes long.

too Rick Fox, to bad they wouldn't let him speak. It's nice that someone of his stature and profession said something like this. Not that Gaming needs validation to be a sport by someone who does "real sports", but it's nice any ways. Oh and fukk Sherri Shepherd!!!
http://www.eventhubs.com/news/2014/...tal-athletes-defends-his-stance-tv-show-view/

I'm a gamer til the end.... but playing games is not a SPORT

RG3 in 69 days tho (no homo)

 

[GoddamnyamanProf]

3 time NBA champion Rick Fox

 

[ThiefyPoo]

I'm a pro


I'm bout to head to practice now

 

[mozichrome]

my hof nba 2k career > rick foxx....i guess huh

 

[Big Blue]

Gaming is not a sport. End of story

 

[Crakface]

Gaming is what it states, a game. Hand eye coordination is not a sport. Its up there with shooting guns. A game.

 

[AkaDemiK]

What game does his son play?

 

[llt23]

If Ping Pong is a sport then I dont see why games arent sports.

Mario I guess wouldnt be a sport, but why not Street Fighter?

 

[itsyoung!!]

Gaming is what it states, a game. Hand eye coordination is not a sport. Its up there with shooting guns. A game.

basketball and baseball are just games too

also hand eye coordination is not a sport

shout out to the people swinging a bat in baseball

or trying to shoot a basketball into a hoop

or trying to hit a tennis ball with a racket



also, the irony of the out of shape, never been in shape in their entire life view hosts tryna argue any points on athleticism or what can be classified as such

THESE bytchES JOBS IS TO GOSSIP, bet I bet they consider that journalism still some how

These PRO VIDEO GAMERS are Sponsored, some even make millions a year, have teams, have houses dedicated to the team, and practice 8+ hours a day and travel the world to compete against other top competition. And its only getting bigger.. so if you stuck in some 1990 mind state go ahead these players out here gettin paid and could care less about your opinion

 

[Crakface]

basketball and baseball are just games too

also hand eye coordination is not a sport

shout out to the people swinging a bat in baseball

or trying to shoot a basketball into a hoop

or trying to hit a tennis ball with a racket



also, the irony of the out of shape, never been in shape in their entire life view hosts tryna argue any points on athleticism or what can be classified as such

THESE bytchES JOBS IS TO GOSSIP, bet I bet they consider that journalism still some how

These PRO VIDEO GAMERS are Sponsored, some even make millions a year, have teams, have houses dedicated to the team, and practice 8+ hours a day and travel the world to compete against other top competition. And its only getting bigger.. so if you stuck in some 1990 mind state go ahead these players out here gettin paid and could care less about your opinion

Not a sport still.

 

[itsyoung!!]

Not a sport still.

thats whats up

 

[WhodatWhoadi]

These PRO VIDEO GAMERS are Sponsored, some even make millions a year, have teams, have houses dedicated to the team, and practice 8+ hours a day and travel the world to compete against other top competition. And its only getting bigger.. so if you stuck in some 1990 mind state go ahead these players out here gettin paid and could care less about your opinion

Thats what they are [pro]video gamers not athletes...and what they do is not a sport.

winning their goofy lil competitions with a bunch of virgins watching is not on the level of winning a world cup,NBA title,World Series,Super bowl,medal at the olympics.

its cool they get paid but at the end of the day they play video games..

no one in their right mind is saying "man those champion league of legends players are waay better athletes then the seattle seahhawks"

"yooo daigo is a beast in street fighter competitions I bet he could take jon jones in real life"

 

[itsyoung!!]

Thats what they are [pro]video gamers not athletes...and what they do is not a sport.

winning their goofy lil competitions with a bunch of virgins watching is not on the level of winning a world cup,NBA title,World Series,Super bowl,medal at the olympics.

its cool they get paid but at the end of the day they play video games..

no one in their right mind is saying "man those champion league of legends players are waay better athletes then the seattle seahhawks"

"yooo daigo is a beast in street fighter competitions I bet he could take jon jones in real life"

ironic you bring up the olympics where we have a "sport" of people shuffling a pod through some ice

for the record, I wouldnt call them athletes either... but id put them on the same level as chess players