This year marks the 25th anniversary of the classic basketball game NBA Jam. For those unaware, NBA Jam was a 2-on-2 basketball game that traded in realism for outrageous and unbelievable plays.
It was a staple of many people’s childhood, including that of Los Angeles Lakers center Brook Lopez. The versatile center is known to be into hobbies such as games and comic books so it should be no surprise that he grew up loving the game.
It should go without saying that Lopez and twin brother Robin probably had many battles growing up. In honor of the 25th anniversary, ESPN gathered a few NBA players for some questions.
When it came to which player he would team up with in a new version of the game, Lopez went with Julius Randle:
Oh, man. Going right now, I’d have to go with my other big with Ju [Julius Randle] and try to change up the game. The game is obviously small ball right now. Throw out a lineup of Julius and I in “NBA Jam.” I think that would be pretty cool.
Considering Randle’s speed and strength, he would be perfect for NBA Jam. Much like in real NBA games, opponents would have a tough time stopping him from going to the rim. Lopez meanwhile, would provide the necessary shooting.
Speaking of shooting, getting ‘on fire’ is one of the most famous facets of the game. When asked which current player gets on fire quickest, Lopez went with an obvious answer, before shouting out another teammate:
I think when Klay [Thompson] gets going it’s something special because he doesn’t even need to dribble the ball. Then I gotta go with our guy [Kyle Kuzma] too. When Kuz gets going, ooh, thing of beauty.
Kuzma certainly showed that off this week as his 30 points led the Lakers to an upset win over the San Antonio Spurs.
A re-make of the game would certainly be fun and it would be great to see which players would ultimately comprise the Lakers squad.
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