How NBA 2K became the evolved rap version of FIFA’s indie-obsessed soundtrack

“Music is very important to basketball culture,” says NBA All-Star Chet Holmgren of Oklahoma City Thunder. And he’s not the only hooper who knows how closely intertwined the two worlds are. “It has the ability to affect your emotions and your spirit. Music can motivate you and inspire you in ways that other things can’t, ” explains the Philadelphia 76ers’ five-time All-Star Jaylen Brown. READ MORE: Every band wants to be on the ‘EA Sports FC’ soundtrack We’re backstage at the massive Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers, where the latest in the annual NBA 2K video game series is being revealed in a grand media event. Fans and content creators have flown in from around the world for the annual celebration of the game’s global community, while an audience of hundreds of thousands are watching via livestream as pro ballers Stephon Castle, Chiney Ogwumike and Tyrese Haliburton talk through the latest changes. There’s a lot of screaming. “I think everyone has a story like mine,” offers Brown a little later. He spent his youth staying up until the early hours of the morning playing NBA 2K with his brothers and being introduced to some of his favourite artists. “And yes, we broke...