Brian Scalabrine Named Cover Athlete For Sony's NBA '08 Video Game

After the recent announcement that ESPN's NBA 2K8 will feature Hornets point guard Chris Paul as the cover star for its multi-platform fall release, Sony wasted little time in naming Celtics forward Brian Scalabrine as the cover athlete for its own NBA-licensed video game title.

"With EA Sports locking up Gilbert Arenas early on and 2K Sports closing the deal with Chris Paul this afternoon, we went with the player we identified from the beginning as who we wanted as the face of this franchise," gushed the elated lead programming developer for NBA '08 in a statement released Thursday evening. "We believe that no one better embodies the ideals and image of our line better than Brian Scalabrine, and we did not feel it necessary to waste anymore time before making it official."

The video gaming message boards are already abuzz with excitement over what many feel is the first time ever seeing a near perfect match between cover athlete and game. EA Sports' NBA Live '08 is always the top seller and is known for a slightly more run and gun, arcade-style game play, which is certainly represented by the enigmatic Arenas. NBA 2K8 is typically thought of as the more realistic, simulation-based experience, quite similar to the steady style of play brought by Paul. The NBA '08 series, on the other hand, is known for the sub-par visuals and sluggish, inept game play that characterize Scalabrine on a nightly basis.

Though too early to tell which game may have the edge this season, critics seem to be in agreement that the Scalabrine signing has once again solidified NBA '08's niche in what is the most competitive market in sports video gaming. While it may not have the fun factor of an NBA Live or the realism of a 2K sports game, your grandmother will assuredly still give it to you for Christmas even after explicit directions on how to identify and purchase one of the other two games.