Nets G Deron Williams is the cover athlete for the new video game “NBA Baller Beats,” which is being released today, but he “isn’t sure he would have gotten the opportunity" if he were still playing for the Jazz, according to Tim Bontemps of the N.Y. POST. Williams said, “There’s not a lot of national opportunities in Utah. There’s definitely some local stuff, some regional stuff, but not too much national stuff.” The game is the “latest in a series of endorsements Williams has picked up since he was traded to the Nets in February 2011,” including Red Bull and MetroPCS. Meanwhile, the video game, which is for the Xbox Kinect, uses “motion capturing to track a player dribbling a basketball and executing different ball-handling skills, including shot and pass fakes” (N.Y. POST, 9/11). Williams appeared on BET’s “106 & Park” to promote the release, saying, "It’s a great game, a one-of-a-kind game where you’re actually playing the game of basketball. You’re dribbling the basketball, using 20 baller moves over 30 hot tracks.” Williams: "You’ve got to dribble to the beat. It’s tough, but it’s for all skill levels. It’s for people who don’t play basketball who want to learn how to dribble, who want to learn the fundamentals of the game. It’s perfect for them, where it’s perfect for guys like me who need to be challenged” (“106 & Park,” BET, 9/10).
