Hoops Great Adam Morrison Loves Xbox Live
At A Glance
- The college hoops great is hooked on Xbox Live.
Former Gonzaga Bulldog and top NBA draft prospect Adam Morrison has game on the court. The forward led the nation in scoring his junior year with 28.1 points per game. That's a feat he accomplished after being named to the Associated Press pre-season All American Team. Morrison opted out of his final year at Gonzaga to enter the NBA, where he may potentially be a first round pick.
When he's not playing real hoops on the hardwoods, Morrison logs a lot of hours on Xbox Live®. The basketball star recently took park in the Xbox Live Settle the Score competition, going head-to-head with fellow NBA draft prospect Rudy Gay of the University of Connecticut in EA Sports' NBA Live 06 on Xbox 360™. Morrison, who was playing in Chicago as the Western Conference Champion Dallas Mavericks, won the close game by three points, 59 to 56, against Gay, who was playing from McLean, VA as the Phoenix Suns.
Adam Morrison settles the score on Xbox 360.
"Games have come such a long way
and the gameplay is so sophisticated.
I think they're getting to the point
where it's almost like you're playing
in the NBA."
"It was just a little friendly competition online," said Morrison, who said that his game on the court is like a poor man's version of the Maverick's' Dirk Nowitzki's.
The Score was Settled on Xbox 360 with NBA Live 06
It's in the Game
Morrison has been gaming since he was six years old, so he's logged plenty of experience on a full range of videogames. Being a competitive guy, he loves sports games, of course. That competitive nature also makes him a huge fan of Xbox Live. When he's playing his Xbox 360, the odds are he's competing online.
"Xbox 360 is bar none right now," said Morrison. "The graphics are unbelievable. Videogames have come along. I think the feature that really separates Xbox 360 is Xbox Live. The fact that you can play anybody anywhere and keep in touch with your friends while playing videogames at the same time is unlike anything else out there. The competition of getting better. Nobody wants to play the computer AI over and over again, so playing against people on Xbox Live is great."
Morrison logs a lot of time on Xbox Live playing EA's Battlefield 2: Modern Combat, NBA Live 06 and Madden NFL 06 on his Xbox 360. He still enjoys competing online in Halo® 2, as well.
Virtual Hoops
Throughout his basketball career, Morrison has always been there at the store to buy the latest hot Xbox® or Xbox 360 game on the day it came out, especially if it was a new sports videogame. He especially enjoys checking out the latest college hoops games.
I like NCAA March Madness 06," said Morrison. "EA does a good job. I'm an EA Sports guy and always have been. I like how they added the college crowds and stuff in the latest game. It's fun to see where your team ranks in the videogame."
While team statistics are accurate, NCAA rules prevent real players names and faces from being used in videogames, so the first chance Morrison will get to see himself in a videogame will come this fall in NBA Live 07. Morrison's looking forward to that.
"It's going to be awesome, especially in a pro game," said Morrison. "To be able to say I made it and to be able to sub myself into a videogame and play as myself will be cool."
Another perk that will likely come at the pro level is the ability to play Xbox 360 in the locker room. That's something that wasn't allowed at Gonzaga.
Morrison likes checking out Gonzaga's ranking in NCAA March Madness 06.
Nothing But Net
Morrison said he's just looking forward to the next level of competition in the NBA. He wants to go out and bring his best game to the floor every night.
When asked if he thought today's realistic basketball videogames could help kids with their real game, he replied," I think with the basketball videogames, maybe you can pick up a little bit. Games have come such a long way and the gameplay is so sophisticated. I think they're getting to the point where it's almost like you're playing in the NBA."
For Morrison, who's achieved success at every level of the sport thus far, videogames will remain a major part of his life. His sparse apartment has an Xbox 360 and an assortment of games spread around. Xbox Live allows the star athlete to stay connected with friends and family from just about anywhere. And Xbox 360 videogames keep his competitive juices flowing during the off season.
Article by John Gaudiosi
