Especially if you're kicking it with Greg Oden. His towering frame tucked onto a small red couch in a conference room of the Four Seasons, Oden looks noticeably tired but every bit the NBA superstar everyone expected him to be. Of course, he was injured during his preseason workouts earlier this year, underwent microfracture surgery to repair his right knee and won't step on the court for the first time until next year. But that hasn't held the big man down. In fact, he's gracing the cover of College Hoops 2K8, which is, quite simply, the best NCAA college basketball game on the market today. And, as he's quick to explain, this was the perfect year to feature Oden. With new features like Lock-On D (getting up in your man's grill for a steal has never been easier), All-American Training (where you can actually go head-to-head against former college stars like Oden, Mike Conley Jr. and last year's cover boy J.J. Redick) and an improved Legacy mode (complete with high school scouting and recruiting), this game has game. In a serious way.
So I put down the Koffee Kakes (if you've never had a TastyKake, maaan, you don't know what you're missing) and asked Greg about his involvement with the development of College Hoops 2K8, the new features, and, of course, picking out the photo he wanted to see on the cover of the game. Just hours before sitting through a battle between the Sixers and the Blazers, here's what the big man had to say.
VIBE: So, before we get into the specifics of the game, Greg, how did you even go aboutlanding on the cover of College Hoops 2K8? Your Ohio State University team did lose to the University of Florida in the NCAA championship game last season. Did you have to petition hard for it?
GREG ODEN: [laughs] Well, I'm not going to lie to you. My agent did all that. I was just chilling one day and he was like, 'Hey, you want to build with 2K Sports and do a cover?' As long as they used a good picture of me, you know I was fine with it!
[laughs] So you had some involvement with the photo of yourself that ended up on the cover?
I didn't actually choose the picture but you know I had to make sure it looked good and that it was to my approval.
Okay, so coming up, were you a big gamer or what? Your hands are huge. You must have had some trouble playing many games.
I wasn't really into video games too much. But everybody played Sonic and Super Mario Brothers, you know that. Those were my specialties.
What about sports games?
I did like...What was it? NBA Jam?
The basketball joint with the dudes with big heads?
Yeeeeeeah! [laughs] That's what I used to play.
Have you played your new 2K8 game much yet?
I haven't played it. They haven't even given me a copy yet!
Wait, I just got to play it. They didn't even let you test it out?
Nope! [laughs] Soon enough, though.
I understand you did a lot of the motion capture stuff for the game. What was that process like for you?
I didn't do much as far as developing the game, so for me, the motion capture stuff was a good way to get involved. Basically, they put this little body suit on tight and get you some beat-down shoes with some sensors on there and then they bring some guys to play against you. I had to make sure I went hard while I was doing everything so that I look good in the actual game.
You're obviously a busy man. Was that a long process?
Nah, nah, it's not too bad. They brought me and [former OSU teammate and current Memphis Grizzlies guard] Mike Conley Jr. out to Los Angeles which is always a good thing. We ain't even gonna talk about all that! [laughs] But, yeah, it was just for a few hours each day.
I caught your commercial with Conley, too. Did he give you any grief over the fact that you landed the cover and he didn't?
Nah! I mean, he got to get in the commercial, right? [laughs] They were contemplating putting us both on the cover. But they always did one guy so they just went for one of us.
Right, right. When you do finally land your copy of the game, are you gonna play as yourself?
I got to! I always be myself. I got to kill with myself and boost my stats up. I dribble down from half-court and let it rain!
Whoa, whoa. You're not one of those guys are you? Making yourself do stuff you don't normally do? Who do you think you are, Gilbert Arenas?
Man, that is all me! [laughs] That's all me.
Do you have any desire to hop on there and knock Florida off since they knocked you guys off in the championship last season?
Oh, of course! That's the first team I'm going to play. I'm going to kill them. And then I'm going to tell [last year's University of Florida point guard and Oden's current Trailblazers teammate] Taurean Green all about it!
Okay, last question. Why should the VIBE.com readers cop this game over the competition?
I already told you I'm on the cover, right? [laughs] Go get it.
College Hoops 2K8 from 2K Sports is available in stores now.
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