NBA LIVE Challenge Update

January 29, 2009

Welcome to the 2009 NBA Live Challenge bought to you by the folks here at EA SPORTS. This year's NBA Live Challenge returns in search of the best NBA Live gamers around the country.  We will travel to 11 regional stops as one finalist from each city will travel to NBA ALL-STAR weekend in Phoenix, AZ for a chance at $20,000 cash and a $5,000 shopping spree with our official retail sponsor Best Buy. 

The EA SPORTS Live Gossip Wire is also back by request to bring you authentic quotes as Commissioner Mike Brown will bring you Q and A coverage with each regional winner.

Chicago Live Wire:

Chicago, IL (Ford City Mall)

It was first the ‘Boss mob' that dominated the California regional's and now a new crew has hit the scene known as the NBK, lead by Jordan "Hands Adonis" Simmons, who has already solidified his spot in Arizona.  Hands Adonis and his brother Miles "Swaggy-swagga-roni with cheese" aka "Swaggasaurus rex" Simmons recruited Wakka and D-San with hopes of working as a team to win the EA SPORTS NBA Live Challenge championship this year. 

Team NBK seems to be a good fit as they have already taken 2 of the first 5 cities, competing with ‘Boss mob' that has 2 of their own.  Each camp still has other members fighting for future cities but today belonged to Wakka and his Houston Rockets.  Admitting that he isn't as great as other members of his camp, Wakka showed resilience against the highly feared 2008 NBA Live defending champion, Ace Deuce and his LA Lakers in the championship game as Wakka held the lead for most of the game with his patent pick and roll offense.

As great of a player as Ace Deuce is, he had no answer for Wakka's offense and resorted to the hack a Wakka defense to slow him down.  Unfortunately, it was Kobe Bryant who did most of the fouling and was sent to the bench with 6 fouls with 3:19 in the 4th trailing 41-34.  It was pretty much over at that point as Yao Ming built a few Dunkin Donuts in the paint.  The only thing missing was the milk.  That didn't take long, as Wakka added the milk, by milking the clock the last 2 minutes of the game and began his early celebration with hand slaps with the crowd as the game closed to an end 45-34.



When asked how does it feel to win immediately after the game; Wakka responded, "I'm going to NBA ALL-STAR Weekend again this year, I can't believe it!" 

Q and A with the winner:

Commish:"What made you play with the Houston Rockets today?"

Wakka: "Well it all started with me switching my team after losing with the Phoenix Suns yesterday.  The guy I lost to yesterday kept fouling me and forcing me to the foul line and I couldn't make my free throws.  After a night in the hotel of practicing free throws with the Rockets, I knew that they were the team for me."

Commish: "D-San mentioned to me earlier that he didn't approve of you using the Rockets, but you stuck with them anyway and it paid off for you in the end."

Wakka: "Yeah, D-San asked me right before the championship game if I was sure that I wanted to use them against Ace being the great player that he is.  He thought that the Cavs were a better choice for me but this was a game that had to be won.  This game had to be won for D-San."

Commish:"Why do you say that this game was for D-San?"

Wakka: "D-San is my number one guy, he is my NBA Live mentor.  I have always been tough on Madden and he has always been tough on Live, so it's a good mix.  I help him with Madden and he helps me with Live, he is definitely the guru and I'm the student.  That's why I wanted to win so bad for him today after he was upset early today.  There's only 4 cities left that we are traveling to so this had to be done by one of us today."

Commish: "If there was anyone that could have spoiled your plans today, it was Ace.  Were you nervous heading into the championship game against him?"

Wakka: "Well I knew that Ace hadn't lost in a tournament as of yet but I was feeling so good with my Rockets.  The fact that I was fighting for every point gave me confidence and I was simply on fire that game.  The only time that he was close to me was when the score was 0-0 at the start of the game.  He never came close after that.  I lead by 5 for most of the game then went up by 13 points at one point."

Commish: "Yao finished the game with 40 of your 45 points scored."

Wakka: "Yeah, he couldn't stop my big man because Yao Ming is a monster on the game and virtually unstoppable with my pick and roll offense."

Wakka went on to add that his camp member D-San will be in Arizona in a few weeks not as his guest but a competitor for the 25 stacks.  "He isn't invited as a guest if he doesn't win a city, because that's how hard we are pushing each other this year."

Strong expectations by NBK but that's what winners are made of.  Well that's all from the windy city, as we jump on the EA Sports NBA Live tour bus headed to Minneapolis, MN.  Who's the next camp to pop up to compete for Arizona?  Stay tuned, until next time...Commissioner Brown...out!