NBA legend says gamers are athletes
NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal has commended esports professionals for what they do and has suggested that they be considered athletes.
Many in the world criticize the use of the word “athlete” when it comes to esports believing that the emerging sport is just not physical enough to deserve the title.
However, Shaq pointed out that competing in esports is quite similar to playing in the NBA as athletes in both sports have short shelf lives, with the average NBA career being about 4.5 years and the average esports gamer’s career length being about 5 to 10 years.
Shaq revealed this in a conversation with Full Squad Gaming’s Jake Lucky stating that “I can’t do what you do.” as well as pointing out that being an athlete means much more than what people think.
Shaquille O’Neal played for 19 years in the NBA winning four championships (three with the Los Angeles Lakers and one with the Miami Heat) and a hall of fame plaque.
It should be noted that esports professionals also spend several hours a week practising, training, dieting, and maintaining physical and mental health to be able to compete at the top level just like any other sports professional.
Just like traditional sports, esports does involve both mental and physical effort, which we fans don’t always realize because we aren’t there behind the scenes.
