Spike Lee today announced that he will be the "directorial force" behind the "NBA 2K16" video game, according to Marco della Cava of USA TODAY. Lee wants to add "realism to the game's interactive feature, MyCareer, which introduces gamers to the social and business challenges of professional sports." He said, "We follow a kid through the trials and tribulations of being a top high school player and the decisions he has to make." della Cava notes Lee "wrote and directed the MyCareer element" of the game. Though the details of the story are "still under wraps, themes generally run to avoiding the pitfalls that surface when talent mixes with money" (USA TODAY, 6/4). Lee said, "It's about the trials and tribulations of life on a big stage with the money, fame, temptations, family members, the press, fans, all that stuff." Visual Concepts VP/Sports Development Jeff Thomas said, "It wasn't a hard sell. Spike was really receptive when I first met with him. He actually said to us, 'It's about time I worked with 2K.' He loves basketball, and this is a new frontier for him." The AP's Derrik Lang notes Lee "focused on drawing out realistic performances from actors, whose voices and movements were all digitally recorded" (AP, 6/4).
