Steven Adams expects GTA VI to hurt every sports league in November
NBA player Steven Adams expects professional sport to suffer from the release of GTA VI. According to the Houston Rockets center, every major league will perform worse in November. Only in December should things return to normal, he says.
Adams made the remark on 22 September at the media day of his club, where he was asked about the coming release of Grand Theft Auto VI. Sports account Underdog NBA posted the clip on X and presented it as a joke.
Steven Adams has jokes at media day:
"I will say: you guys should anticipate November. The performance of the league, league-wide. GTA is dropping."
Adams did not stop at basketball, IGN writes. He told reporters to watch the NFL and every other league as well, and to see how they collapse. Performance only drops in November, he said, and should recover after that.
Coaches and scouts too
According to Adams, players are not the only ones who will be distracted. Coaches and scouts will suffer as well. Most players will hopefully finish the game in time, he added, after which December should be fine again.
Whether he turns out to be right remains to be seen. Professional athletes have little room to put their preparation aside for a game. GTA VI is nevertheless expected to be one of the biggest entertainment releases ever, IGN writes.
Not the first athlete linked to a game
Adams is not the first top athlete whose form is tied to a game. NFL quarterback Kyler Murray has been the subject of a joke for years: his results would drop whenever a new Call of Duty comes out.
The remark comes in the same week that GTA VI reached an NBA arena. A giant “Welcome to Vice City” sign now stands on the roof of the Kaseya Center, home of the Miami Heat. GTA VI is due on 19 November for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.
Source: IGN Benelux