Pro Gamers Are Real Athletes, Because Gordon Hayward Said So

What's your view on ‘pro gamers'? We're talking literally here, not the usual casual vs hardcore BS. Not just the stereotypical lonely gauchos and paunchy-ass basement dwellers, but those who really are paid to game.

It's a legitimate skill, true enough. Somehow, though, I'm not going to put these guys up there with superstar athletes who have honed and honed their bodies into finely-oiled success machines. I don't care how many flawless combos you can perform in Marvel vs Capcom, I don't think young kids will be idolising your asses any time soon.

But maybe that's just me, being the snarky old bastard I am. You don't often get insight from someone well-versed in both worlds (e-sports and… sports), but it does happen. Utah Jazz small forward Gordon Hayward is making it happen right damn now, and he wants your attention.

Over on The Players' Tribune, Hayward wrote ‘The Case for Gaming,' an argument that e-sports are a real, damn legitimate thing. A history of Halo addiction made him a better basketball player later in life, he says, and these pros train just as hard as regular athletes.

I'm not quite convinced, myself, but it's a damn good read if you've got a couple minutes to check it out.